Depression and How To Manage
Contrary to popular belief, depression is not a state of being sad over one’s circumstances. It is different from feeling angry, sad, bored, or stuck at home with nowhere to go. Many close people around you, like friends and family don’t understand that depression involves deep sadness in the absence of any reason for it. Depression is the mood disorder that causes feelings of sadness and loss of interests. It affects how you think, feel and how you behave. It has a way of trapping people. It can make you feel like you’re suffocating, making you feel like you can’t live the life you want or interact with friends and family.
One day your world may be perfect – it could literally seem like nothing can go wrong; but on another day every little thing seems to fall apart or not work out, and no matter what you do, the feeling doesn’t go away. Depression doesn’t discriminate against anyone based upon age, sex, or social status. It does not care about who you are as an individual because when one suffers from high levels of depression, they will know all too well what their self-worth becomes over time from constant feelings resulting from low level despair. Recognizing depression’s symptoms is the first step to taking control of an unwanted behavior. Symptoms can vary between men, women, older adults, children, and teens so it may be challenging for some people to recognize them at times. Here are 5 common symptoms to be aware of:
- Difficulties paying attention, focusing on tasks at hand and making decisions.
- If you don’t find any joy in your daily life or activities anymore, and it seems like everything is just “blah” to you.
- A feeling of helplessness and hopelessness is when you feel like there’s nothing to look forward to.
- Extreme changes in sleep patterns.
- Easily triggered, irritable and short tempered.
Ways to help manage depression
Sharing what’s on your mind with a friend or loved one can be extremely helpful. When you talk about how you’re feeling, it often feels like something really heavy has been lifted off of your chest and that the weight of it has decreased. Talking about mental health matters, and it does have positive effects. While it may be seen as a call of help by some people and make them feel weak or shameful, revealing to a friend or loved one what you’re going through is perhaps the bravest thing you can do. Asking for support is an important first step to come out of disturbed state of mind that has been making you feel so vulnerable and alone.
It’s easier said than done but staying socially active can really make a difference. A depressed person will most likely feel more isolated and lonelier if they’re not in contact with their friends. Social support is extremely important for overcoming negative feelings so it would be best to keep up your relationships, even when you don’t necessarily feel like doing anything at all. Just having someone there who cares about what happens without judging you can make things better.
Exercise can be a great way to manage your depression and can be as equally effective as taking medication for preventing future relapses. This has been shown in numerous studies with similar results. According to one study, individuals who exercise regularly are less likely than others who don’t exercise at all of relapsing into depression, whether they choose medication or therapy treatment options. Studies have shown that walking for 20-30 minutes each day results in a significant influence on mild to moderate symptoms of depression. The act of walking, jogging, or running stimulates your brain and releases endorphins – a chemical reaction that provides the body a “good mood” signal, reducing pain and enhancing your mood. This, in turn, helps improve your headspace and makes you feel better!
Many people feel frustrated and are easily triggered at times, but if these emotions persist for a long period of time without any signs of going away it could be depression. Sadness is something everyone experiences from time to time too, however, when you’re depressed it’s different in nature since there are certain symptoms associated with having this mental illness. Those who are experiencing symptoms of depression shouldn’t ignore it. Depression can have a harmful effect on mental and physical well- being, so seek help as soon as possible. Thankfully, here at Empire Psychiatry New York , we have the experiences to provide relief for your needs. We have created a system with the goal of providing peace of mind for our patients. We have come up with this mission after working closely and understanding the needs of thousands upon thousands to provide better service than anyone else in our industry! For more information or help with your depression, send us an email, or contact us today.