Thinking about how depression feels…. It feels like it is so much effort and wondering what is the point. It feels like not being able to move the body, not having enough energy to leave the bed, to brush your teeth, to keep the house clean and tidy. It hurts, and it hurts so bad that the only thing you want to do is to make the pain disappear. But the struggle is that you don’t know how, you cannot see a way for all this pain to end. Depression can be more painful than a physical pain. But there is good news and I will let you discover as you are reading.
Let's look at depression from a clinical perspective. Depression is characterised by at least two weeks of constant low mood, experienced across most of the activities. People can experience it in different levels of intensity and lengths.
Symptoms: - very low mood, crying; - Anhedonia (the inability to feel pleasure): - Reduced sex drive; - Sleep issues (too much or too less) - Eating (too much or too less); - Lethargic or agitated; - Irritable mood; -Reduced concentration, memory issues; - Physical pain; - Low self esteem, low confidence: - Rumination over the past events, feeling guilt, remorse, a sense of loss; - In severe cases people can experience psychosis.
Depression is accompanied usually by anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or personality disorder (PD). Causes of depression can be a genetic predisposition or environmental factors, mental or physical illness, pregnancy, alcohol and drug use, errors in thinking.
How can I help There are a few common ways to treat depression: through psychotherapy, medication and electroconvulsive therapy. At times, and to achieve better results, treatment can combine medication and therapy. Adjusting your life style, choosing a healthier diet and exercising can positively influence the outcome.
