A Guide to Depression and Sadness
What is Depression?
Depression is a mental illness that can affect people of all ages, races, and backgrounds. It is a mood disorder characterized by feelings of sadness or hopelessness that can last for weeks or months at a time. Depression affects how you think, feel and behave.
Depression is not just feeling sad for a few days. Sadness is an emotion that we all experience from time to time and it’s usually temporary. When someone has depression, they feel sad most of the day, every day. The sadness can be overwhelming and keep them from enjoying things they used to enjoy like work or hobbies. They may also have other symptoms like sleep problems or appetite changes.
People with depression may also have negative thoughts about themselves or their life in general that don't go away no matter what they do or how hard they try to make themselves happier. These negative thoughts can lead to feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness which can lead to suicide ideation (thoughts).
In men especially, depression can present as anger and irritability. Often, increased use of substances and alcohol can occur.
Depression can be caused by many different things, including genetics, stressful life events, trauma and substance abuse. It can also occur during pregnancy or as a side effect to certain medications.
No one who experiences depression is weak or “bad.” You are not a failure because you can’t outthink your depression.
It is important to note that depression does not have one specific cause. It has many different contributors that may vary from person to person.
How to Overcome Depression? You don’t just “snap out of it”
Depression is a mental illness that affects the way one feels, thinks, and behaves. It can be triggered by an event or a series of events. The most common symptoms are low moods and lack of interest in activities that were once pleasurable to them. Some people also experience physical symptoms such as headaches, stomach aches, fatigue and difficulties concentrating on tasks at hand.
There are many ways to help depressive symptoms including:
Getting enough sleep,
Eating healthy foods and exercising regularly
Taking care of your emotional needs
Getting help from family members, friends or professionals
Practicing mindfulness techniques
Trying out new hobbies or activities
Getting outside for sunshine, air and nature
Depression is often insidious and you may need to reach out to professionals to help manage your symptoms, learn about depression and how it presents in you, and help figure out what unique things help YOU a. feel better now and b. can help safeguard you and help if you should feel depressed later. Medication management can work really well with therapy to improve your capacity for the longer term work that is done in therapy (while reducing some of the overwhelm you may feel).
The Importance of Seeking Professional Help for Your Mental Health
No one deserves to feel sad, lonely and depressed. Feeling low and unmotivated can make the first step of reaching out and asking for help feel almost impossible. However, that help is available and a good therapist can help you find your way out of the despair of depression.
If you are someone you love is in mental health crisis, call 911 or reach out to a crisis line such as The Samaritans at 212-673-3000
Lisa Schneider, LCSW is a social worker in private practice and can be reached at lisaschneiderlcsw@gmail.com
You deserve to feel better
