How do I deal with depression? Part One – Symptoms of Depression

So how do I deal with depression?

This is a very common question many folks ask themselves at various times in their lives.

Depression is heavy and hard; it keeps us feeling poorly about ourselves or the world, and really zaps our motivation and joy.

Naturally then, Googling ‘How do I deal with depression?’ is common. No one wants to keep feeling this way.

As you are reading this, or wondering if this is something that you have, let me highlight some key and important components of depression.

Please note, that due to the length and amount of information available to share with you, this blog post is a two-part series. This post is part one; the ‘What is depression’ overview. Stay tuned for part two next week; the ‘How to manage depression’ overview, with skills provided.

Depression is categorized in the medical field in a few different ways. For clear understanding and support, I highlight the characteristics you might be noticing about yourself if you are struggling with depression.

Symptoms of Depression:

If you are someone struggling with depression, you might notice a loss, diminished interest, or pleasure in doing things you once enjoyed. You might feel sad, empty or hopeless most days. You may have noticed weight changes, sleep changes, and low energy. Maybe even poor concentration, or changes in your physical functioning. It is also very common to have also noticed thoughts of feeling worthless, excessive guilt, and even thoughts of suicide or death.

Any of this sound familiar?

If any of that is hitting close to home, it might be time to talk to someone about, if you haven’t already. I say that, not because there is anything wrong with you, or that there is something you have to change. I note it because if you don’t want to continue feeling this way, there are things that can be done to help you get relief.

Those remedies might be aided by talking with someone you love and trust, it might be talking with a professional therapist, or even your doctor. But if you’ve ever Googled ‘How do I deal with depression’, I’d like to offer you some options to try on your own to see if it helps in part two of this series.

It’s normal if these thoughts come up

One big thing to note is that if you have had thoughts of suicide or death, it makes sense. Depression brings up the ugliest thoughts and feelings about ourselves, others, and the world. It tells us there is no point and that it will never get better. Depression does this because it wants you to stay depressed! It wants you to stay in this space, isolated and alone. But they are just thoughts. They are part of depressive symptoms.

The good news

The good news is, thoughts are not facts (stay tuned for another post on that one!) and we can change a lot before it becomes an action. The important thing is that you share those thoughts with someone you trust and seek support. I hope that the next post is helpful for you while you get connected with someone to help.

Stay tuned for next week’s email: Part Two: How to manage depression.

If this is something that you are struggling with, and would like to work on it with a counsellor, visit the Contact Me link on my website to schedule an appointment today.

 

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Photo cred: @stormseeker