What Does Depression Feel Like?
With more than 21 million adults in the US suffering from depression, it is more common than ever to be experiencing mental and physical symptoms that affect your daily life. Sometimes, though, it’s hard to know if your exhaustion, sadness, or irritability are related to depression or are caused by something else.
Depression can manifest in many ways and can be experienced by anyone, regardless of age, gender, or background. But what exactly does depression feel like?
In this article, we will delve deeper into the symptoms, feelings, and examples of depression to provide you with a better understanding of this condition.
What does Depression Feel Like? Symptoms of Depression
Depression (major depressive disorder) is a serious medical condition that can affect how you feel, think, and act. For a proper diagnosis, you must experience symptoms for at least two weeks, noting a change in daily function (like an inability to keep up with household chores or get your work done as you once did).
Symptoms of depression include:
- Feelings of sadness, hopelessness, or emptiness
- Loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed
- Increased irritability
- Feelings of guilt or shame for not being able to “snap out of it”
- Changes in appetite and weight (either an increase or decrease)
- Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
- Fatigue and lack of energy
- Increased fidgeting
- Difficulty concentrating, remembering things, and making decisions
- Suicidal thoughts or attempts
Your symptoms can range from mild to severe, so note what you are experiencing and for how long it has been going on. If you are experiencing symptoms of depression, contact your doctor or counselor for a diagnosis, a treatment plan, and to rule out other possible causes of your symptoms.
Some people also experience what is known as “high-functioning depression,” where they can still keep up with daily tasks but are struggling mentally and emotionally. This type of depression can be hard to identify, as the person is able to mask their symptoms and continue with daily life. However, it is still a severe condition that requires treatment.
What Depression Feels Like
Depression can feel like a heavy weight that you’re carrying around with you every day. It can make the most routine tasks seem impossible and leave you feeling exhausted, hopeless, and numb to emotions. It can also feel like being stuck in a deep, dark hole with no way out.
Some people describe their depression as a constant grey cloud hanging over them. Others compare it to drowning in quicksand, constantly struggling to keep your head above water but slowly sinking deeper and deeper into despair.
Real-life examples of what depression feels like include:
- “It’s like being in a room full of people but feeling completely alone. You want to connect with others, but you just can’t.”
- “It’s like I’m living in slow motion while everyone else is moving at normal speed.”
- “I feel like I’m constantly running on empty. No amount of sleep or rest seems to help.”
- “Everything feels meaningless. I don’t see the point in doing anything anymore.”
- “My mind is always racing with negative thoughts and worries, even when everything in my life is going well.”
- “I feel stuck in a never-ending cycle of sadness and hopelessness. Nothing seems to get better.”
- “On the outside, I seem happy and successful, but on the inside, I’m struggling to keep it together.”
No matter what your experience with depression looks like, it can look different for everyone. You may not experience all of the symptoms listed above, or you may experience a few or all of them at once. This can remain consistent each day or change drastically from one day to the next. This can be one of the most frustrating and defeating parts of depression.
How to Stop Depression
Recovering from depression can be a long and challenging journey, but it is possible. Here are some ways you can begin to improve your symptoms and get out of depression:
- Challenge negative thoughts: Depression can often be fueled by negative thinking patterns. Work on identifying and challenging these thoughts (also known as Cognitive Reframing) with more positive and realistic ones.
- Seek professional help: This can include counseling, medication, or a combination of these. A mental health professional can provide individualized treatment that addresses your specific needs.
- Reach out for support: Talk to friends and family about what you’re going through, join a support group, or connect with others online who are going through similar experiences. You don’t have to go through this alone. Isolation makes the symptoms of depression worse. However, connecting with others can often help ease symptoms.
- Practice self-care: This includes eating well, getting enough sleep, and engaging in activities that bring you joy and relaxation. Showing yourself love through self-care actions is a powerful way to combat depression, which often makes you feel like you don’t want to do anything.
- Make lifestyle changes: Sometimes, small changes in your daily routine can make a big difference. This can include setting boundaries, saying no to things that cause unnecessary stress, or taking breaks throughout the day.
Remember that recovery from depression is not a linear process, and it may take time to see improvements. Be patient with yourself, take baby action steps toward relief, and celebrate even the smallest victories along the way.
How to Get Help
If you are experiencing symptoms of depression or can relate to any of the examples listed above, it’s essential to seek help. Depression is a highly treatable condition, and getting help can significantly improve your quality of life.
A counselor can help guide you to relief.
Even with more people discussing mental health than ever, you may still feel nervous to speak to a counselor about what is bothering you. Talking to a stranger about personal details can initially seem uncomfortable, but remember that this is what they do. They are there to listen, which is sometimes hard for our friends or family to do amid their busy lives.
Also, a licensed counselor creates a treatment plan with goals so that you are actively working towards working through what you are experiencing. Your treatment plan is crucial because it ensures that you feel today is not how you will always feel.
It would be great and incredibly convenient if we could work through life’s difficulties independently. The fact is that we sometimes need each other to process and move on from the hard parts of life. Depression can overwhelm your entire life, but it doesn’t have to stay that way. Connecting with a licensed counselor is a pivotal part of the healing process to gain understanding and coping techniques that you can use in the future to prevent these feelings from returning.
If you are ready to take a step toward relief from the symptoms of depression, call us at (833)-274-heal or start here to make an appointment with a licensed counselor.
Remember that depression can feel a heavy rain cloud over you, but it doesn’t have to stay that way. Life can get better. It just starts with taking that first step.
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