Depression
Everyone gets down from time to time, but sometimes it’s more than just “the blues.” Sometimes, it can be clinical depression. Clinical depression affects more than 19 million Americans each year. It is a real illness that can be treated effectively. Unfortunately, fewer than half of the people who have this illness seek treatment.
Too many people believe that it is a “normal” part of life and that they can treat it themselves. Left untreated, depression poses a huge burden on those that suffer from the symptoms. It can cause unnecessary suffering and disruption in one’s life and work.
If not addressed at the right time, it can lead to an increasing sense of hopelessness or suicidal feelings, and a person may try to harm himself/herself or end life.
I work with clients who struggle with depression to help find ways to help you find your way through the fog and mire. Depression is not a character flaw or a sign of personal weakness. Unfortunately, it isn’t often possible to make yourself well by trying to “snap out of it.” The direct causes of depression are not fully known, what is known is that body chemistry can bring on a depressive disorder and/or your struggle with depression could be due to experiencing a traumatic event, hormonal changes, altered health habits, the presence of another illness, or substance abuse.
But what is depression?
The signs and symptoms of clinical depression may include:
~ Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” mood
~ Reduced appetite and weight loss, or increased appetite and weight gain
~ Loss of pleasure and interest in once-enjoyable activities, including sex
~ Changes in sleep patterns
~ Restlessness, irritability, anger, worry, agitation, anxiety, pessimism, indifference
~ Persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment, such as chronic pain or digestive disorders
~ Difficulty concentrating at work or at school, or difficulty remembering things or making decisions
~ Fatigue or loss of energy
~ Feeling guilty, hopeless, or worthless
~ Thoughts of suicide or death
~ Unexplained crying spells
~ Significant changes in sleep patterns
~ Unexplained aches and pains
If you experience five or more of these symptoms for two weeks or longer, you might have clinical depression. Seeing a doctor or qualified mental health professional could help.
Depression is a condition, which one should not confuse with the short-term emotional distress, anxiety attacks, or feeling low, which also are symptoms of depression. Anyone can feel low for a brief period of time, or have anxiety attacks once in a while, but that does not mean they are suffering from depression. Depression can be much more serious than that, and is a persistent feeling of sadness, loneliness, grief, uselessness, and emotional pain, which one should not confuse with the short-term emotional distress, anxiety attacks, or feeling low, which also are symptoms of depression. Anyone can feel low for a brief period of time, or have anxiety attacks once in a while, but that does not mean they are suffering from depression. Depression can be much more serious than that, and is a persistent feeling of sadness, loneliness, grief, uselessness, and emotional pain.
