Miss USA Cheslie Kryst recently thought her accomplishments were ‘okay,’ says mom: How powerful depression is

Symptoms of high-functioning depression can manifest differently than symptoms of severe depression, such as changes in eating habits, sleep disturbances, fatigue and feelings of hopelessness, says April. Simpkins, mother of late Miss USA winner Cheslie Kryst.

After her daughter’s death at the age of 30 in 2022, Simpkins shared that Cheslie struggled with depression for years despite being a lawyer, winning titles and finding a place to be a writer for the TV program “Extra.” Although Simpkins is not a doctor or a doctor, he began working as a NAMI ambassador.

“For some people like Cheslie, it can feel like that [it’s] it is normal to be in a state of pain or loneliness. Speaking of Cheslie specifically, that’s one of the things I noticed,” Simpkins tells CNBC Make It.

“I think what I noticed the most was his strange attitude, the strange things he was doing were good. I didn’t see high signs of happiness, and that doesn’t mean every time , but most of the time I thought, ‘Wow, that was a good thing.’ He would see that it was okay.”

We spoke with Chase Cassine, a licensed social worker and psychologist, about managing the symptoms of high-functioning depression. Here is what he recommends.

1. Let your support system be there for you: “High depression will tell you that you’re alone in this world, and that’s not true. So let your support system be there for you,” Cassine says.
2. Complete your cycle and do things outside your home: It can be as simple as running to Target or as fun as going on vacation.
3. Journal about how you feel
4. Create a safe space: Have relationships with people in your life where you can talk about how you feel and feel comfortable sharing. For some, the people you share with may be friends; for others, it can be professional.
5. Practice yoga and mindfulness: If you find yourself “too busy, too busy being an overachiever, thinking about what’s next, practice mindfulness,” she says. “Mindfulness allows us to be present, to know how we feel, and [realize] that emotions are fleeting, they don’t last, and that we can know how we feel and we can release those things.”
6. Seek professional help: “If it has been a constant sadness, if it starts to affect their work, their ability to work,” then it is a sign that you should seek more support from a professional. “Talk to your health care professional first about giving alternatives [medical] things, [and] consider doing some psychotherapy. “

Cassine also has advice for people who suspect their loved one is dealing with high levels of stress. He suggests that you volunteer to buy food for that person or ask them to go with you while you run errands.

“I want friends and family, that village, that community, I want them to start with this: to lead with compassion, and appreciation, that all of us, all of uswe experience different stress, we experience different adversity, different things that can affect us differently,” Cassine says.

“What we all desire as human beings [are] these three things: we want to hear, to be seen, to be heard [and] importance.”

One of Kryst’s last wishes was for her mother to publish the book she was working on. “By the Time You Read This” was published in April.

“She was my best friend, she’s my daughter, she was my person, and if she leaves me a wish, something she wants to do that she can’t do for herself, I will go to the mats to make sure this is done,” says Simpkins.

“I will surely shake heaven and earth.”

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