There are many explanations for WHY people get depressed. Those explanations can be helpful from a rational perspective, but depression isn’t rational, is it?
In April 2017, I wrote an article titled, “Dealing With Depression”, and asserted the statement above. In that article, I listed some ways to deal with depression, but I didn’t tell my story.
My own challenges coping with depression have informed me in a way that nothing else can. In 1989, I was diagnosed with chronic depression, but for many years before that, it was a foggy window through which I viewed life. And today, I recognize that it’s not going away, and although prescriptions help to some degree, I still struggle to maintain a hopeful, positive outlook on life.
The diagnosis, however, was key to me finding my way to a better life at the time. I was in an abusive relationship and couldn’t see the truth of it. I offer my experience here as a testament to personal transformation through hard work and persistence. Nothing — no important change — happens overnight. And if that “depresses” you, I encourage you to stay vigilant. The potential for a better life is more than worth the effort.
The counselor I was seeing in 1989 had me take a psychological test called the MMPI to help her diagnose what was going on with me. The test confirmed chronic depression, and once I started taking Prozac, I began seeing my life from a different perspective. I began to understand why I had made unhealthy choices, and recognized that I could change that going forward. I began to see that I had been trying to take responsibility for everyone and everything. It was my fault if someone was unhappy. The counselor also drew some other conclusions, two of which were that I have trouble setting limits and that I have been doing too good a job of suppressing my emotions. Yikes! Lots to work on . . . Now, almost 30 years later, I am so much happier!
Do you or someone you know suffer from depression? It’s a disease that is treatable! Here are some symptoms of depression taken from an article by Dr. Iliriana B., MD:
- Persistent Sadness
- Feelings of Hopelessness
- Feelings of Worthlessness
- Feelings of Guilt
- Loss of Interest
- Sleep Disturbances
- Difficulty Remembering and Concentrating
- Suicidal Thoughts
- Fatigue
- Weight Loss / Gain
Many of us experience one or more of these symptoms at least once in our lives, but there is a difference with depression. The feelings don’t appear to be linked with any particular circumstances in our lives, but rather are evident for no identifiable reason.
If the feelings persist or get worse, it would be wise to seek help from medical professionals. Depression can be managed and life can end up being happier than ever. Once you recognize the symptoms, you can stop, feel the feelings, and then recognize that those feelings will pass, just as everything passes. Please offer your comments below.