Depression
Depression is one of those illnesses that you should handle with care. The term is often thrown around with nonchalance to describe the way we all commonly feel low from time to time. However, clinical depression can be a very serious issue. What many people describe as mild depression is sometimes nothing more than a common temporary feeling but it can still rob you of your confidence, motivation and ability to remain positive. True depression on the other hand must be diagnosed by a professional and often will be treated with various depression medications or therapy. If you are experiencing significant signs of depression on a regular basis, the best advice is to see the help of a professional.
Feeling Down
On the other hand, many of the low feelings that we refer to as mild forms of depression can be controlled successfully using common techniques. These are similar to the techniques used to improve self confidence, promote healthy self esteem, fight anxiety, manage stress and practice positive thinking.
With strong will power and a take action kind of attitude, we can usually manage to hold these common low feelings at bay and continue to be content and productive. There is an old saying, “Industry cures the melancholy,” and it still hold true today. What this phrase is referring to is staying busy, being productive and sometimes even physical labor or exercise. Next time you start to feel a slight low creep in and steal away your motivation and energy, try finding something to occupy your mind, body or both. For instance, a common activity that people will use is to clean. You can clean the house, work in the yard, organize the garage or even work in the garden. Basically, anything that gets you busy will help. It also helps you get things done that probably already need to be done. Having accomplished something useful in the process is an added bonus.
Fight Mild (Non Clinical) Depression With Discipline
This takes a little self discipline because feeling bad does not generally motivate you to do mundane tasks. On contrary, you will probably just want to lie down or watch TV. Try your best to make your self get up and get moving. You will thank yourself later.
You can also practice some of the many other proven techniques associated with positive mental health in general. For instance, positive self talk, self motivation, positive affirmations, visualization techniques, physical exercise, breathing exercises or meditation can be helpful practices for fighting off these feelings. These methods will go a long way to helping you push back the blues and reclaim your enjoyable day.
True Depression
The real depression occurs with varying intensity and frequency and can be very serious. Depression of this nature is known as clinical depression and often classified with terms like Depression-Major, Unipolar Depression or Major Depressive disorder. In the past there was another common classification known as Manic Depression, which is now referred to as Bipolar disorder.
These forms of depression are more serious in nature due to the potential severity of the symptoms and the resulting effects that they can have on a person’s ability to function normally and be happy.
Symptoms
Some of the symptoms associated with these conditions may include feelings of intense sadness, pessimism, cynicism, feelings of worthlessness, intense mood swings or outright hopelessness.
When these feeling take hold, it can feel as if you are living in a void. There is no light at the end of the tunnel, nothing to look forward to or believe in and no reason to feel happiness or joy. These feelings begin to permeate your every thought and significantly impair the way you view your life and the world around you. Your motivation dissolves and your ability to face life’s problems and move forward is impeded dramatically. If unresolved, these feelings of helplessness and despair can affect your physical well being as well. They affect your sleep patterns, your relationships, your ability to function in the workplace, your eating habits and your desire for recreation.
Depression is Mental Disorder
Depression is a mental disorder that often requires medications, psychotherapy, counseling or a combination of these efforts. It is usually diagnosed when several different symptoms occur at the same time and for a prolonged period. Some of these indicators are feeling depressed for a significant portion of the day, significant changes on body weight, constant restlessness, thoughts of suicide, lack of interest in any enjoyable activity, lack of mental focus, prolonged feelings of guilt or intense fatigue.
Depressed people may also experience agitation or extreme anger accompanied by associated outbursts or even violence. They may experience memory loss, insomnia, low tolerance for stress or increased anxiety. The symptoms will be different depending on the person, the reason for the depression and the severity of the illness.
It is important to educate yourself about the many forms of depression and the many treatments available. Depression is a serious and debilitating illness but it is completely treatable. If you feel that you may be experiencing depression in any unmanageable form, it is in your best interest to seek help as soon as possible. Neglecting this problem can potentially allow it to get worse or cause other serious problems.
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