How Well Do You Understand Depression?

By Terri Bowman

How well do you understand depression? Do negative emotions like anxiety, disappointment, sadness, frustration and anger impact how you’re feeling, and how you approach each day? It’s certainly true that everyone has days here and there when they feel less than great. If you’re feeling a bit out of sorts, or finding it hard to feel energetic it can have a bit impact on your day. And if you’re having trouble finding a positive outlook on life, or finding things to enjoy, it can be challenging just to get out of bed in the morning.

Occasional experiences like this are normal, but when they persist and start to make things hard for you, it might be time to think about what’s going on, and to talk with a professional about whether you might be experiencing depression.

In the past, depression was misunderstood. It was sometimes dismissed as a weakness, or as something that needed to be ‘gotten over’ or managed alone. Now, thankfully, it is understood as the serious medical condition that it is. Thorough treatment options have been developed and now depression can be overcome with the right professional help. Doctors and psychologists are more determined to diagnose, treat and manage depression earlier to help people break away from the challenges that it can brings.

Causes of depression have proved challenging to identify, but what is understood so far indicates that depression can actually have a range of causes. Hormonal changes (particularly for women when they experience pregnancy, childbirth or menopause) as well as life events (the death of a loved one, stressful experiences at work) can all contribute, but are not always part of the picture. Because of this, doctors and psychologists have become better at looking for specific signs and symptoms of depression.

If you think you might be experiencing depression, or any form of mental illness, reach out to a health care professional – they will be able to talk with you about the kinds of symptoms you’re experiencing, and help you through your recovery.

Some of the things that people experiencing depression might feel include:

• Difficulty concentrating, remembering details or making decisions
• Feeling tired, and struggling to find their normal energy levels
• Feelings of guilt, worthlessness or helplessness
• Persistent pessimism
• Insomnia, waking early, or excessive sleeping
• Irritability, restlessness; feeling agitated and angry
• Lack of interest in things that they normally find enjoyable
• Overeating, or lack of appetite
• Persistent sad, anxious or ‘empty’ feelings
• Aches or pains, headaches, cramps or digestive problems that do not ease
• Thoughts of suicide, suicide attempts

Treatment for depression has changed significantly over the last two decades too, thanks to the changes in awareness and understanding that have come with medical research. If you’re diagnosed with depression, your doctor will talk with you about what treatments might suit. Anti-depressant drugs are available and provide many benefits, and psychotherapy is often part of the picture as well. It is widely understood now too that there are natural treatments that can also be used in recovering from depression.

Seeking treatment is important with any illness, and especially with mental health. As depression is studied more thoroughly by researchers, a growing body of evidence suggests that sufferers are also more likely to be diagnosed with a range of other health issues too, in terms of both mental and physical health. These can include things like anxiety, diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease and more. So it’s important to get help and support, and to make sure you look after your mental health.

So much more is known about depression now, there’s no need to feel like you have to suffer alone or avoid talking about it. Reaching out to a health professional will help you find the right treatment and the right support through your recovery.

The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect all or some of our beliefs and policy.  Any links on this page does not necessarily mean they have been endorsed by Defying Mental Illness.

Terri Bowman is the creator and CEO of Brain Wellness Spa™ and for almost a decade has been working to help people overcome mental illness and emotional problems. For more information about the work that Terri is doing visit brainwellnessspa.com

About The Author

Defying Mental Illness

Chuck and Zoe are the founders of Defying Mental Illness (DMI), a Community Interest Company. Guest bloggers have played a very enriching role in making this website a highly recognized website for mental health advocacy. To contribute a blog, please contact us.

Defying Mental Illness – Put a Full Stop, is an organization with a mandate to reach out to those faced with mental health challenges to help them not only defy the disease, but also put a full stop to the stigma and discrimination. Chuck and Zoe are often invited to speak on various platforms including radio and television.

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