Depression: A Closer Look

Jan 23

Depression is a word we hear thrown out pretty often. “I’m feeling so depressed.” “Sarah is so depressed about her breakup.” “Ugh that season finale was really depressing.” With the word depression being used so frequently (and sometimes inaccurately), it can lead some to wonder, what exactly is it? Well, let’s talk about it.

Depression is one of the most commonly diagnosed mental health conditions. Although it can cause people to feel intense sadness, depression is made up of much more than this. A depressive episode can make it difficult for a person to function in different areas of their life and can cause several other symptoms, including lack of motivation, difficulty sleeping, changes in appetite, feeling hopeless or helpless, feelings of worthlessness, fatigue, and sometimes even thoughts about death or suicidality. These feelings tend to last most of the day, more days than not. It’s definitely more than just feeling “blues-y.”

As with many other diagnoses, depression can generally run on a spectrum. Some people can experience mild to moderate symptoms of depressed mood while others experience severe symptoms that might lead to more intense care. Although these are general symptoms that providers often look for when assessing for depression, it’s also important to remember that it can present differently depending on the person, their age, their circumstances, and sometimes even the cause of their depression.

Depression can affect people at any point in their lives. Oftentimes, it’s triggered by a significant life event, such as grief, loss of a job, trauma, and can even happen after the birth of a child. Depression can also be influenced (although not necessarily solely caused) by a family history of depression and is also sometimes seen within the context of certain medical conditions. It can also be seen in a variety of ages, beginning as early as childhood. Depression during childhood and adolescence is usually presents as irritability vs feelings of sadness or low mood. In late adulthood, it can cause personality changes or memory issues.

As frustrating as these feelings might be, depression isn’t something we can just “snap out of.” After all, if it was I can’t imagine anyone would walk around choosing to experience depression. Depression makes us feel crummy. More than crummy. It can get so bad that we can feel as though we’re in a hole we can’t ever get out of. But there’s good news. I once worked with a psychiatrist who made it a point to tell his patients that depression is a highly treatable diagnosis. Hearing him say this helped me to understand the importance of continuing to relay this message to people. It helps instill a sense of hope that was maybe lost long ago. And best of all, it’s true. When a person can combine therapy with medications, the outcomes are even better. And ultimately, while different therapists may use different tools to help a person work through their depression, in the end the best predictor of success is the relationship between a counselor and the person getting counseling. The better the relationship and the more you trust in your counselor, the better equipped you are to overcome these feelings.

Some people experience depression once in their lives. Still some others might experience it throughout different moments in their lives. As frustrating as that might be, I find that it’s important to remind my clients of an achievement they might be overlooking. If you’ve experienced depression in the past and successfully worked through it, you’re already familiar with the tools that worked for you to help process through those feelings. You might need a little reminding from your therapist about what those are, but you have them nonetheless. You’re not starting from scratch. And even if you are starting at the beginning with your first episode of depression, you and your counselor can work to identify healthy ways to manage these feelings and work through them, problem-solving along the way.

If you’re worried that you might be experiencing feelings of depressed mood, it’s important that you speak with a licensed mental health professional who can help offer guidance and support. Whenever you’re ready to take that step, feel free to reach out by visiting the Contact Page and getting in touch. Remember – depression is treatable and you can get better with help.

One last thing, and this one is really important. If you ever find yourself having really scary thoughts of harming yourself or someone else or if you feel as though you’re actively in crisis, please call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988. It’s available 24/7, is free, and is a truly amazing resource. You can also visit their website at https://988lifeline.org where they have chat options available too. You can also always call 911 or head over to the nearest emergency room.

Take good care and thanks for reading.

And as always, be kind to yourself.

Sincerely,