Depression is a serious medical illness that can affect how you feel, think, and behave. But how do you know if you’re suffering from depression, or if you’re just feeling a bit low? Read on if you’ve ever found yourself asking: What does depression feel like?
What Does Depression Feel Like?
What Is Depression?
Depression isn’t just a feeling: It’s a serious medical condition. Depression, also known as major depressive disorder, is a mood disorder that can make you feel a sense of constant sadness and general lack of interest in life. While it’s normal to feel sad as a result of life’s many challenges – losing your job, experiencing a breakup, or going through the loss of a loved one – depression causes intense feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness for weeks or even months.
What Does Depression Feel Like?
It can be easy to mistake depression for general grief, sadness, or even anxiety. But while grief, sadness, and anxiety typically pass after a traumatic event, depression lingers. For example, if you’re experiencing grief, you might find that painful feelings come in waves, intermixed with welcome moments of happiness or cheerfulness. But if you’re experiencing major depression, you will find that your mood is very low most of the time for at least two weeks, with little respite. Another telltale sign of depression is a lack of interest in the things that used to bring you joy, including hobbies and quality time with loved ones. Mentally, this might make you feel exhausted, heavy, irritable, or tearful. Physically, you might experience feelings of fatigue, chronic pain, or insomnia.
Diagnosing Depression
If you feel that you may be suffering from depression, your doctor will look for a few specific symptoms in addition to your medical and family histories, environmental factors, and overall physical health. For a depression diagnosis, you must exhibit several of the following symptoms for at least two weeks at a time:
- Feelings of sadness or reduced mood
- Feelings of worthlessness or guilt
- Loss of interest or pleasure
- Trouble sleeping
- Fatigue, often accompanied by oversleeping
- Changes in appetite
- Difficulty thinking or concentrating
- Thoughts of death or suicide
Treating Depression
Once you receive a depression diagnosis, there are several different courses of treatment. Some patients opt to start with psychotherapy, or “talk therapy,” which involves discussing your feelings with a professional psychologist. This can help you identify patterns and coping mechanisms to help you feel better over time. Your doctor may also recommend antidepressants, which can help subtly modify your brain chemistry to improve your mood. Some patients may take a short round of antidepressants for a temporary shift; however, others may benefit from long-term medicinal support. Be sure to speak with your doctor before starting or stopping any kind of treatment for depression.
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Depression is more than just a feeling. Depression is a real illness that requires a medical diagnosis and approved treatment. Fortunately, today’s treatments can help you find relief quickly and learn to manage depression in the long term. If you are experiencing symptoms of depression, be sure to check in with a behavioral health professional like a physician or psychiatrist as soon as possible.
Are you in need of behavioral health guidance? Reed Behavioral Health offers highly individualized solutions for individuals and families who have been impacted by behavioral health problems. Our approach is different. It starts with a comprehensive and individualized assessment process so we can determine how to best help you. This includes a firm understanding of your value system and what you want out of life. Ultimately, we offer individualized care using an integrative model, working with our clients to resolve the lingering issues beyond their disorders so they can have a full life. For more information, please call us at 763-577-2489, email us at [email protected], or send us a message online. We look forward to working with you!