Depression

imgbbEveryone can feel sad, blue, down and lonely. Kelly Clarkson’s song “Dark Side” describes it well — we all have a dark side and we all experience moments of loneliness and sadness.

A clinical depression is much worse than simple unhappiness.

  • these feelings go on consistently for longer than two weeks.
  • you just don’t feel like you have the strength to pull yourself out of that dark place.
  • you can’t function at work, school, or in your social relationships.
  • you feel the need to “numb” your feelings with unhealthy things like sex, drugs or alcohol.

If you are reading this you have the insight or curiosity to explore your feelings or your thinking.

Myth: Teenagers do not suffer from depression, they’re just moody.
Fact: Depression is not just being moody, and it can affect anyone, including teenagers.

Myth: Talking about depression only makes it worse.
Fact: Talking about your feelings to a psychologist, counselor, or physician is the first step towards getting help.

Anyone who has experienced a major depressive episode can see how cruel it can be, but it’s lonely. Plus, North American society doesn’t encourage people to share these feelings – there’s a stigma because people don’t know enough about it. Unfortunately, this increases the chance that a simple “low mood” might come to be classed as a major depressive disorder.

But guess what? You’re not alone!

I had a client who felt very isolated when he was clinically depressed. I encouraged him to ask people he knew if they had experienced any depression symptoms. To his amazement he learned that 6 out of 10 of the people he asked had gone through depression. And this helped him.

But you need to talk about it. According to research the depressive episode that lasts 18 months without your getting help, can be shortened to 2 to 6 weeks if you do seek counseling and help.

And how exactly do you know if it’s “depression” or simply “low mood”?

It’s normal to feel down once in a while. You’ll feel that way when something happens — you lose your job, or you fight with a friend or a partner, or you don’t get the raise you wanted, or you fail a test.

But you might have low mood if you:

  • Feel especially sad or irritable, or
  • Aren’t sleeping very well, or
  • Don’t want to go out and see your friends, or
  • Are drinking or using more substances than usual, or
  • Have an appetite either too big or not there at all

It usually goes away after a few weeks, especially if the situation that caused it improves, and you talk with someone – friend, family member, or therapist.

So suppose the low mood does not go away – maybe lasts longer than 2 weeks – and you feel worse.

There’s something called the “Beck Depression Inventory”. It says that depression symptoms can be any of:

  • Changes in weight or appetite
  • Sleeping too little or too much
  • Feeling either restless or slowed-down all the time
  • Feeling useless, worthless or really guilty
  • Fatigue most of the time
  • Feeling numb or empty
  • Trouble with concentration, decision-making, or you think slowly and forget things
  • Thoughts about death or suicide
  • Loss of interest in work, hobbies, people; loss of feeling for family members and friends
  • Preoccupation with failure(s) or inadequacies and a loss of self-esteem; certain thoughts that are obsessional and difficult to “turn off”
  • Decreased sexual drive
  • Crying easily, or having the urge to cry but are unable to do so
  • Occasional loss of touch with reality, perhaps hearing voices (hallucinations) or having strange ideas (delusions)

You don’t need to have all of them to “qualify”. There is a range in severity from minor to major depressive order, defined by the number of these signs of depression and how long they last. It’s important that you find help. Talking about your feelings with a healthcare professional you trust can help you understand and put your problems into perspective.

Please contact me for an appointment or more information.

© Careen Coetzee