Shalini Singh, LMHC-D, NCC, C-DBT

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What is Depression?

Feeling sad is a natural emotional reaction people experience during certain moments in their life. For example, a person can feel a deep sense of sorrow, upset or disappointment because they have lost someone whom they have loved, a recent/past break-up, or had to part ways with a home they grew up in. Sadness becomes a problem when it takes over our life preventing us from going to work/school/college, or engaging with others, or taking care of our personal well-being.

Some people feel sad without any known triggers or situations preceding the feeling of sadness. This can be a problem because the sad feeling is not following a natural course of onset known to people and leaving them confused, frustrated, or tired. Sometimes, these moments are accompanied by sudden onset of crying, which can be a way to relieving the emotional pressure from feeling sad. It can help or it may not help, and may find yourself unable to stop crying. Therapy can help with coping.

Some individuals who have been diagnosed with depression also report they don’t feel sad, so, they conclude it cannot be depression. But that is oftentimes not the case. Most of the time, these individuals do report feeling numb inside, nothing in their life is evoking the feelings of joy, pleasure, or emotional pain. This can be a part of the symptom cluster of low-grade depression. People can experience mild levels of depression. These individuals are able to do well at their job/school, interact with others, and take care of their personal well-being while feeling numb inside and experience less pleasure from their daily activities.

So, what are the symptoms and signs of Depression?

Depression is often associated with feeling low, exhausted, confused, worthless, or hopeless. People also report feeling low interest in doing anything that used to make them feel joyous and are sad on most days of the weeks. There are other associated symptoms with depression. For example, a person’s sleep hygiene and appetite may also be affected. Some people also report feeling anxious, sad or notice that making decisions can take a lot of effort.

Other important elements of Depression

A person who is feeling depressed may also experience thoughts of death or suicide or engage in behaviors that are physically causing them to hurt themselves. If you are experiencing thoughts of suicide, reach out for help now. Call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline number, 1-800-273-8255 or text the Crisis Text Line #, 741741 (Text Home to 741741).

Connect with someone immediately because you matter.

Summary of symptoms/signs of depression:

• Feeling depressed for most days
• Decreased interest in prior activities that used to feel good
• Experiencing agitation or restlessness
• Feeling guilt, low self-esteem, hopeless, empty inside, or worthless
• Experiencing problems with concentration and/or decision making
• Reduced energy levels on most days
• Feeling unmotivated, empty, numb
• Experiencing unexplained digestive problems or headaches
• Disrupted sleep patterns and eating habits
• Noticing significant weight gain or loss within one month
• Mood Disturbances

Sometimes people experience energy levels where they go from feeling keyed up, productive, and reduced need of sleep toward feeling drained and deeply low. These folks also experience unexplained shifts in their mood. These fluctuations in mood must be carefully tracked because it could be a mood disorder. Mood disorders can have a heavy impact on a person’s overall well-being.

What are Mood Disorders?

Have you ever felt your mood rapidly shifts? Has this been ongoing for most of your life? Have you noticed times where you did not need to sleep and was super productive during these times, or engaged in behaviors such as overspending, gambling, or sexual acts you otherwise would not? Have you noticed when you are in the phase of increased energy, you become very talkative and your mind is racing? Did you ever feel drained to the point where you felt emptied and started to feel depleted, sad and low? Are you more irritable where it is is impacting your relationships with others? If you have experienced any of the above, you may be experiencing mood disturbances. It is highly recommended that you speak with a psychotherapist for help. Mood disturbances can have a severe unwanted impact on your quality of life.

What can I do about Depression?

Depression is exhausting. Naturally, people will try to find ways to cope with it. Sometimes folks surrender to their place of comfort by isolating themselves from the world. It is important to recognize the signs of depression and seek professional help from a depression therapist. Getting emotional support from people you trust can be helpful to getting you out and about to feel less alone with depression. It is possible to cope with depression by being the one in control of your life and not depression.

You are not alone. You don’t need to let depression be the author of your life. Psychotherapy has shown significant efficacy in helping people to manage the symptoms of depression. Also, there is no one size fits all approach. When working with a depression therapist, you and your therapist will work to identify the roots of feeling depressed and developing useful skills/techniques to effectively cope with depression.

Let’s begin the journey to cope with depression. Reach out if you have noticed any of the above signs of depression. Call 929-368-2642 to book a free consultation with an Experienced Online Depression Therapist in NY and Florida.

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