Depression can take many forms as how it can show up in our day-to-day lives. It can look like a lack of interest in daily activities from the outside but on the inside it can feel like a mental/spiritual heaviness weighing throughout your day. Depression is more complex than just an overall feeling of sadness.
Do These Signs of Depression Feel Familiar?
Do you struggle to feel joy or excitement over plans with friends or loved ones? Does completing tasks such as checking items off your to-do list or engaging in longer-term goals feel pointless to manage? Maybe there is a metaphorical ‘dark cloud’ that follows you around. Depression and its severity can affect people differently but it’s important to know what symptoms of depression can look like.
Sometimes when we’re feeling depressed, our concept of time can be messed up. For one person it might feel like each minute that passes by is excruciatingly slow or it can feel like you never have enough time in the day. Similarly, the way we cope with our depression can be vastly different. Some might find themselves sleeping consistently and struggling to engage in self-care. For others, they might throw themselves into work trying to distract themselves from the internal heaviness they’re feeling.
How Can You Tell If You’re Depressed?
In therapy, we can use a variety of tools to gauge the severity of your depression symptoms. One of the most common tools is known as Patient Health Questionnaire or the PHQ-9 for short. This asks questions like:
Do you have trouble concentrating on things, such as reading the newspaper or watching television?
Have you been moving or speaking more slowly than usual, or feeling so restless that other people could have noticed?
If you are reading this and notice you can relate to the symptoms of depression that have been mentioned, you may be wondering what to do next?
Exploring Your Options
Sharing your experiences with someone whom you trust is usually recommended. It can be difficult to manage symptoms of depression if you’re feeling disconnected from loved ones. If reaching out to a friend or family member isn’t an option, consider peer support. There are other ways for you to connect with others, like a support group or potentially online communities such as the ADAA Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) Support Community. You can receive support from others who are in a similar position which can make you feel less isolated.
Finding What Works for You
If you would like more personalized support, then therapy may be the best option. Not only will you and your therapist work on creating personalized goals intended to decrease the severity of your symptoms but you will have access to more resources. Sometimes medication may be impactful for the short term to help you navigate life with depression. Other times, different tools such as Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) can help with alleviating the intensity of your symptoms.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to managing symptoms of depression. It may take a few tries to find an approach that works for you, but you are worth it. At Catalyss Counseling, our compassionate therapists specialize in helping people navigate depression and regain their sense of hope. If you’re ready to take the next step toward healing, we’re here to help.
How We Can Help
Find yourself Relating? therapy might be helpful for you!
Our therapists at Catalyss Counseling have many specialties that might align with what you’re looking for. Just follow these simple steps:
Contact us today for a free 20-minute phone consultation
Or, you can book directly online with the therapist of your choice
Begin your journey towards a calmer, more balanced life
Author Biography
Marie Clyne is a licensed social worker and provider at Catalyss Counseling. Her focus centers on adults struggling with depression, anxiety, and ADHD. Marie's passion lies in getting to know you, who you want to be, and working together to help translate those goals into reality. Follow Catalyss Counseling on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.
Other Therapy Services Available at Catalyss Counseling:
Here at Catalyss Counseling, we want to meet all of your counseling needs in the Denver area. Our supportive therapists provide depression counseling, therapy for caregiver stress, grief and loss therapy, stress management counseling, adhd and more. We also have specialists in trauma and PTSD, women's issues, pregnancy and postpartum depression or anxiety, pregnancy loss and miscarriage, and birth trauma. For therapists, we can also provide clinical supervision! We look forward to connecting with you to help support your journey today.
Comentários