Dear friend! It seems at times like no one really gets it, doesn’t it? It seems like you are alone in this. It also seems like it will never get better. It feels so exhausting that you feel tired all the time. No energy left. Just pain that seems will never go away. You are starting to guess that you might be struggling with depression.
You need to know that you might be clinically depressed if:
- You feel sad more days than not
- You notice a change in your eating habits (increased or decreased appetite)
- You notice a change in your sleeping habits (you are now sleeping too much or too little)
- You feel worthless
- Maybe you also feel restless
- It is now difficult to concentrate or make decisions
- You have found yourself thinking of death or suicide
There might be other symptoms that go on and on every day for weeks. If you are grieving, keep in mind that there is a two month waiting period before a grieving person can be diagnosed with a depressive disorder.
Perhaps now you are asking yourself, what do I do? How can I deal with that? Will it ever get better? Sometimes it seems easier just to stop being, stop existing.
If you are clinically depressed, you need to know that you cannot just “get over it.” Depression has different causes. They can be medical, psychological, or a combination of both. Having a medical checkup might be a good idea. While it is possible (and sometimes recommended) to address symptoms with medications, helping yourself also involves learning coping skills and perhaps dealing with the psychological cause. Freud used to describe depression as anger that turned inward. The reasons for depression might be often rooted in not dealing with trauma and stressors. In therapy, you can explore the psychological causes of depression, and learn skills necessary to manage it. A Harvard study of the effect of meditation on the brain found that meditation produced changes in the brain that were visible in MRI imaging after only eight weeks of meditation.
https://dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/handle/1/27822160/4908122.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
Therapists use a variety of approaches to treating depression that also have strong research support for their effectiveness in treating major depressive disorders. Depending on your needs, therapy might be combined with medication. It has been shown that combining medication and cognitive behavior therapy is slightly more effective than either alone.
Dear friend, if you are struggling with depression, allow yourself to get help. Even if it seems so dark right now, there is hope. And there is a solution. You do not have to go through this alone. Start your healing journey today. We are here for you.
The world is more beautiful with you!
Aly Landry, MS, NCC
Registered Marriage and Family Therapist Intern
Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern
National Certified Counselor
(321) 209 2049
aly@renew-counseling.org
www.renew-counseling.org
www.alylandry.com