Depression is often expressed in sleep and energy disruption, overall mood disturbance, inability to enjoy oneself, and difficulty being motivated, amongst many other symptoms.
When someone feels depressed, they might feel like they’re in a ‘very dark place.’ A sense of being in a dark tunnel or room with no way out, and they can’t find a way to shake the feeling. It can be disturbing, consuming and painful.
Remember that even in this darkness, you can find light. Depression can and does lift and it is possible to feel better, happy and excited about your present and your future again. Therapy and a compassionate therapist can provide the support you need and help you heal and find the path to a brighter future.
Depression is common, affecting more than 322 million people worldwide. In the United States in 2014, approximately 15.7 million adults experienced at least one depressive episode. Symptoms must include feeling ‘blue’, ‘sad’, or ‘disinterested’ in life, or feeling a loss of pleasure in activities for the majority of the time over a two week period. Other symptoms include changes in appetite or weight, sleep difficulties (increased or decreased), fatigue or loss of energy, diminished ability to concentrate, psychomotor agitation or retardation, excessive guilt or feelings of worthlessness, recurring thoughts of death and in severe cases, suicidality.
As with all disorders, these symptoms interfere with daily activities in one or more areas of life (e.g., social, work, school). Depression occurs more often in women than men. Teens, often exhibit signs of irritability, anger and tiredness. Different types of depression include major depressive disorder, persistent depressive disorder, adjustment disorder with depressed mood, and depression with a seasonal pattern.
Depression is very treatable. Patients often recover with great success. The gold standard for treating depression in people of all ages is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Other treatments that have been proven effective include Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT), and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT).
Please call 911 or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for free at 1-800-273-8255 if you are feeling suicidal.
