Lots of people and the media throw around the term depression but very few understand just how complicated this mental illness is, especially for those suffering from it. Simply put, depression is much more than just “being down” or “feeling sad.” It’s a serious challenge for those suffering, impacting every aspect of their daily life. Relationships, work, sleep, and more are hurt by depression.
So, What is Depression?
More than 19 million Americans suffer from depression in a given year. That’s almost 9.5 percent of the population. Depression is often called the common cold of mental illness because it’s so common among people. There are a wide variety of types of depression, including clinical depression, manic depression, postpartum depression and more. Each is treated differently depending on the person and what they respond to. Treatment options can include therapy, medication, or alternative treatments.
Symptoms of Depression
Some of the most common symptoms of depression include:
- Empty feelings, such as anxiety or sadness
- Fatigue, like loss of energy or feeling “slow”
- Loss of interest in things you find enjoyable
- Insomnia or oversleeping
- Loss of appetite or overeating
- Feelings of hopelessness and helplessness
- Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
- Restlessness and irritability
- Thoughts of suicide or death
While these aren’t all the symptoms of depression, they are the most common. You may or may not have some of these symptoms, but if you notice several of them, you may be depressed on some level and need to seek treatment to overcome the challenge. Depending on the type of depression, you may have more specific symptoms, too.
Treating Depression
If you or someone you love is suffering from depression, treatment options are available to help manage it. Starting with therapy is often the best way to discover what form of depression you’re suffering from and what the broad treatment options are. Therapy may be an effective way to overcome depression, but you may need help along the way with medication and alternative treatments. By talking to a therapist, you can determine just what steps are right for managing depression and living a better life free from this mental illness does to your physical, mental and emotion well-being.