It can affect anyone at any age. Consulting with your doctor or licensed mental health provider is the best way to determine if you are suffering from depression and what type of depression you might have.
A person with depression may experience some or many of the following:
Feelings of sadness and emptiness
Feelings of anxiety
Experiencing restlessness or irritability
Loss of interest in all or most activities
Problems with appetite, which can lead to weight gain or weight loss
Sleep problems
Loss of interest in sex
Low energy, which may include feeling tired most of the time
Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
Negative feelings about oneself, including worthlessness or excessive guilt
A feeling of hopelessness or helplessness
Crying spills out
Increased alcohol or drug use to cope with depressed mood
Thoughts of death / Suicidal thoughts
Many people may not be aware that depression is the root cause of many of the symptoms mentioned above; therefore, they don't get the treatment they need. It is difficult to treat something that one has not yet identified. Over time, severe levels of depression that go untreated worsen and can lead to other health problems. It can even lead to suicide.
There are different types of depression; therefore, one person's treatment needs will differ from someone else's. The most common treatment for clinical depression involves a combination of antidepressants and psychotherapy (talk therapy). Many experts in the field believe that depression may involve an imbalance in neurotransmitters, chemicals in the brain that affect how nerve cells communicate. Antidepressants are often prescribed to correct these chemical imbalances. Psychotherapy can help solve or manage problems that may be contributing to a patient's depression. Some patients who do not respond to standard depression treatment may need additional resources.
In my counseling work with people who suffer from depression, I often notice that they have an inner critic that keeps them feeling down, inadequate, and in many cases, worthless. When the inner critic is the dominant voice within a person, depression is likely to be present. Identifying the inner critic can be done by encouraging patients to pay attention to their inner dialogues. Internal dialogue involves the way a person talks to himself or herself, and the quality of that dialogue can affect a person's mood. For example, negative thoughts that go on in a person's mind, such as, "I can never do anything right," or "I know I'm going to lose my job," can make a person feel inadequate and anxious.
Helping people become aware of the emotional impact of their internal dialogues can help them become more emotionally aware. There are many ways to work with negative inner dialogues and the painful emotions that accompany them. As a psychotherapist, I find it useful to explore different treatment options in collaboration with my clients. A collaborative approach helps people in therapy feel in control of their recovery from depression.
Working with a licensed mental health therapist to explore treatment options for depression is an important step toward recovery. I hope that anyone suffering from depression will reach out and get the help they need.
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