Let’s Talk About Depression

Depression is a common but serious mood disorder that negatively impacts how you feel, think, and behave. It typically impacts many areas of a person’s life, such as relationships, work, and sleep, among countless others. It often causes feelings of sadness and loss of interest in activities that would typically bring you joy, but many people don’t know that it can also present as anger or irritability. 

 Symptoms of depression include:

•Feeling sad or numb

•Irritability

•Loss of interest in activities

•Difficulty sleeping or oversleeping 

•Eating noticeably more or less than your norm

•Fatigue and low energy 

•Feeling worthless 

•Feeling like things are hopeless 

•Thoughts of death or suicide 

While these symptoms can occur for people without depression at times, people with depression experience some or all of these symptoms for two weeks or more. 

Despite feelings of hopelessness, there is plenty of hope and depression is very treatable. Common treatment includes counseling/psychotherapy and medication management, or a mix of the two. Coping skills for depression include being active and exercising, setting small and realistic goals, spending time with trusted people, avoiding isolation, following through with responsibilities such as cleaning and paying bills, participant in hobbies, and keeping up with personal care. 

When battling depression, it is best to start small and give yourself lots of credit for every small (and large) accomplishment. If it feels too much to manage on your own or if you need a little extra help, therapy is a great place to start. Contact us for support.