Are You Suffering From Depression?
By: Brian Murray, LMHC, NCC
Depression is a condition that affects our mood. There are variations of the disorder found in the DSM-5 manual that describes each type of depressive disorder. Clinical depression goes by many names ranging from mild to severe. Mild could mean nothing more than a case of the blues that fades out after a week or two. More severe cases may require medication or a brief stay in the hospital. However hospitalized cases usually involve psychosis which can be debilitating. Longer term depression, which can be life long, is called Persistent Depressive Disorder which until recently was called Dysthymia. An example of long-term depression is seen with Eeyore in Winnie The Pooh. Depression is more than just a sad mood for a day or two, it’s something that goes for weeks, months or even years on end.
Most people who experience depression report a primary feeling called anhedonia which is the inability to feel pleasure. On depression questionnaires you will see this by asking if you have lost interest in things you once enjoyed. Most depressed people understand this as they usually don’t feel like doing anything. They don’t enjoy engaging in life like they used to. As a result, they tend to isolate, over/under eat, avoid others and look at life situations through a gloomy lens.
More severe cases can evolve into feelings of worthlessness and losing hope in life altogether. They focus on how terrible life is and become hopeless. When a depressed person reaches the point of feeling hopeless then suicide needs to be taken into consideration. If a person reaches a point where they feel that life has nowhere to go, it’s hopeless and there is no way out, the thinking often diverts to thoughts of death and suicide.
Thoughts of death and suicide are never under any circumstances to be taken lightly. When someone mentions it, it’s usually a cry for help. But don’t take a chance, call 911 and report it or take them to an emergency room. Local authorities are much more sensitive and proactive with suicide calls than they have been in the past. Usually, a suicidal person will be taken to a local hospital and held for 72 hours for assessment. If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-873-8255.
If you feel that you or someone you know is suffering from depression then look for these symptoms.
●
A persistent
feeling of loneliness or sadness
●
Lack of energy
and/or hard to get out of bed
●
Feelings of
hopelessness
●
Difficulties with
sleeping (too much or too little most days)
●
Difficulties with
eating (too much or too little most days)
●
Difficulties with
concentration or attention
●
Loss of interest in
activities, hobbies, or socializing
●
Feelings of guilt
and worthlessness
● Frequent thoughts of death or suicide.
Treatment options for depression can vary. It’s often described as one of the most difficult conditions for therapists to treat due to low client motivation. Calling a friend or finding an activity can distract from the stress of life thus lessening the sadness or blues. These distractions give our minds a break from the persistent negative thoughts that are often circulating that contribute to low mood. Other treatments include counseling, medication or a combination of both.
There are some natural remedies that can help with the healing process. This includes being outside in the sun. A form of depression called Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, is found in geographical locations where there is lower sunlight such as Seattle and England, which also happen to have some of the highest suicide rates in the world. This is due to a neurotransmitter called Serotonin that gets generated by sunlight through the eyes. Serotonin is responsible for positive mood which is what antidepressant medications target in the brain. Cloudy locations and northern latitude states in winter see higher incidences of SAD due to lack of sunlight and serotonin generation.
Exercise and any form of bilateral stimulation that involves movement of both sides of the body can be helpful such as walking. This is also helpful for reducing anxiety. So a walk in the park, or the beach on a sunny day can be a helpful activity to alleviate depression. The bilateral movement, such as arms swinging, affects the brain in a way that creates a relaxing sensation. This in turn alleviates stress, reduces feelings of dread and worry leading to a more positive mood.
If you feel that you are depressed and stuck, then it might be time to reach out to a professional. Counselors are trained to evaluate or perhaps identify something deeper. Get a physical from your doctor and see if hormones or something else are contributing to the low mood. It’s not uncommon for a hormone imbalance, especially those in middle age, to cause depressive feelings.
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