Depression Is For Real: How Depression May Show Itself In Everyday Life

Depression is not just “sadness”.  It consists of many symptoms that can last for days, weeks, even months at a time.  Depression can affect your functioning physically, emotionally, socially, vocationally and behaviorally.  It can be connected to your thoughts about yourself and how you view the world, your emotions, how your body feels and your overall sense of being. The following are some ways depression may show itself.  Keep in mind to look for frequency (how often), duration (how long) and intensity (how strong) that these examples are happening. For instance, if you have a day of many of these symptoms, it may or may not be depression. If you have several of these symptoms for weeks, it MAY very well be depression.  Here are some ways that depression may come out in day to day living:

1. Getting out of bed or taking a shower seems impossible to do.
2. You are oversleeping or not able to sleep well.  You are beyond tired whether sleeping or not sleeping.
3. The idea of running an errand (grocery store, post office) is overwhelming and exhausting.  You actually have to “gear up” for it.  This may be one of the only things you are able to accomplish for the day.
4. A full day, tending to tasks, family, friends and responsibilities seems monumental. You have to push yourself to get through.
5. You tell people you are “tired” to get out of socialization and obligations, when the root reason is depression.
6. You ignore your phone, e-mails, texts, social media, not to take a break, but because you are upset and not feeling well.
7. You have aches and pains all over your body that are not due to known medical conditions (ex. MS, arthritis).  Keep in mind that depression CAN be correlated with pain, inflammation, headaches, and so forth. It may be wise to consult with a doctor, nutritionist, etc to see if the symptoms are due to a medical condition, a mental health issue or both.
8. You do not want to eat, have no appetite or you are emotionally eating.
9. You feel heavy, sluggish, weighed down, like you are walking and moving through molasses or cement.
10. You are pushing people away or not contributing to relationships, but at the same time you want people around. It is a vicious cycle and you end up feeling very guilty about this.
11. You are irritable, snippy, angry.
12. You are tearful and crying for known or unknown reasons.
13. You may feel “nothing”, numbness or paralyzed.
14. You put on a happy face or “mask” in public, when you actually feel horrible inside.
15. You are forcing yourself to attend events and socials and you are not enjoying yourself when you usually do.
16. You feel you are disconnected to others and the world.
17. You are disinterested in things that usually bring you joy such as music, a hobby, your favorite T.V. show.
18. You are “beating” yourself up with words, talking to yourself in a negative manner, thinking negative thoughts.
19. It is hard to concentrate or focus at work or in school.  You are isolating yourself from your coworkers and classmates.
20. You feel “blah”.
21. You do not see the point in life or hope for the future.
22. You feel like you are going to hurt yourself or plan to hurt yourself. This is serious.  Please call 911 or go to your local emergency room.

Again, the above illustrations may or may not be depression (for example, inability to concentrate could be anxiety or ADD). Furthermore, although depression is often connected to physical symptoms, it is a good idea to have a base physical to rule out any other medical conditions such as a thyroid imbalance (I am not a doctor and my intention is not to give medical advice, however, I encourage seeking out a medical professional).  In addition, if you are experiencing several of the above points for an extended period of time, you may want to consider reaching out to a therapist.  For more information on depression and treatment for depression, please visit https://www.pawkettwholementalhealthcounseling.com