Depression is a mood disorder that can leave you feeling persistently sad. Depression can affect how you think, how you feel, and even your behavior. Depression can lead to many emotional and physical issues. Depression is a serious mental illness that affects millions of Americans. Because depression is such a serious illness, it’s important to get an accurate diagnosis in order to take the steps needed to heal. Knowing the signs and symptoms of depression is the first step to treating the disorder. Depression will not go away on its own. It is an illness that may require long-term treatment.
There are many symptoms of depression but the disorder may look different from person to person. It’s important to seek help if you are experiencing any of these symptoms any more than a few days at a time.
Depressive symptoms:
- Anxiety
- Apathy
- General discontent
- Guilt
- Hopelessness
- Loss of interest or pleasure in activities
- Mood swings
- Sadness
- Agitation
- Excessive crying
- Irritability
- Restlessness
- Social isolation
- Sleep issues: excess sleep, insomnia, or restless sleep
- Eating issues: loss of appetite, increased cravings, or overeating
- Fatigue
- Lack of concentration
- Slowness in activity or speech
- Thoughts of suicide
- Weight gain or weight loss
- Emptiness or hopelessness
- Lack of energy
- Feelings of worthlessness or guilt
- Fixating on past failures or self-blame
- Trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions, and remembering things
- Unexplained physical problems, such as back pain or headaches
(Mayoclinic.org)
Depression can occur due to family history or genetics, environment, trauma, a prolonged period of stress, or the death of a loved one. No matter the cause, it’s important to seek help.
Seeking help:
If you suspect you are struggling with depression or you are going through a difficult time, it is important to seek help. You can let a trusted loved one know you are struggling, you can schedule an appointment with your primary care doctor and they can prescribe you medications or refer you to a therapist or a psychiatrist.
If you are interested in seeking therapy, you can call your insurance company for a list of therapists nearby that take your insurance or you can search for one on your own on psychologytoday.com.
Many therapists provide sliding scale fees and lower rates to see an intern.
Therapy and/or medications do not have to be long-term. Depending on your needs, you may need therapy and medications temporarily. Be honest and discuss your symptoms and your wants and needs with your provider. For some, medication and therapy are long-term, but for others, it is needed only temporarily.
Taking medications and seeing a therapist is completely normal. Mental health is health. Mental illness is an illness and it needs to be addressed just as a broken arm does. There is no shame in needing help or support. You deserve to feel good. There is hope.
A part of depression is struggling with negative thoughts and negative self-talk. A way to focus on more positive thoughts is to practice gratitude daily. Keeping a gratitude journal is a great way to train your brain to focus on the positive rather than the negative. Download your printable 7-Day Gratitude Journal to get started on your gratitude practice today.
