By Sarah Fader
Medically Reviewed By Tanya Harell
It’s difficult to face feeling down, however, it’s also extremely normal. Feeling down occasionally is a part of life. Sometimes we feel down, and we don’t know the source of that unhappiness. You’re feeling down, lost or scared and don’t know what the cause for these emotions is, or how to fix your life. Not knowing the source of that pain can be upsetting. It’s important to know that your feelings are valid. If we’re feeling down when we wake up, or unhappiness creeps upon us during the day, this is troubling. That’s when it’s important to pay attention to that feeling and investigate where it’s coming from. Unhappiness doesn’t appear for without cause, so it’s a matter of finding out the origin of that feeling. Even if you don’t know the cause of your unhappiness, there are ways you can help yourself in these challenging moments. You can struggle with your mental health at times, but those moments aren’t permanent. Understanding that feeling down is a part of life can help you feel better. You know that these emotions are normal and that they do pass. But there are causes for them and it’s important to explore the origin of the feelings related to your behavioral health and prevent yourself from having a difficult time.
Could it be depression?
Feeling sad is a natural part of life. Feeling sad can happen for no reason sometimes but can emerge for many reasons, starting from losing interest in activities. You’re feeling fine and out of nowhere, you start crying. Are you just sad for seemingly no reason or are these symptoms of depression?
You may experience a loss of interest in things you once enjoyed. That’s a sign of depression as well as many more possible behavioral health symptoms. When you feel like these sad feelings came on for no reason, you might feel anxious. You’re worried that it won’t go away or get relief if there is no specific cause to target.
Sometimes feeling sad is natural, and may come on with no specific cause, but other times it’s not. One possible cause of the persistent sad feeling could be depression. That sad feeling with no specific cause could be something to be aware of and monitor closely for your mental health and well-being.
You can also seek help at your local department of health to help you prevent suicidal thoughts when dealing with chronic depression.
When you’re depressed you need to get help. If you’re worried that you may be depressed, don’t panic. Many people experience depression, and it’s a treatable mental health condition.
You’re not alone in this feeling. These feelings happen to all of us and we can get through them. There are many local support groups where you can surround yourself with people who understand that can be found online.
When you express your own feelings, you may feel better. Call up a friend and tell them what you’re going through. They can listen to your pain.
The symptoms of depression include decreased appetite or increased appetite, low or depressed mood, lethargy, social isolation, and even substance abuse in some cases.
If you are experiencing any symptoms of depression, reach out for help, as there are several effective treatments. There are many forms of depression including major depressive disorder. Major depressive disorder is a form of depression that impacts 16.1 million Americans according to WHO.
People who are living with depression can help with a deficit of the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine. However, antidepressants can correct these imbalances. It is critical to pay attention to your mental health care when you’re feeling low. For all guidance regarding medication and treatment, please consult a licensed medical professional.
When depression is treated the result is a healthy mind. Find a therapist, and start getting on the road to recovery. Whether that provider is in your local area or online it doesn’t matter, getting help is what’s important. Online therapy has been proven to alleviate symptoms of depression.
The sooner you find a therapist the better. That person wants to help you get on the road to recovery. You may not know where to find a therapist, but that’s okay. You can search online or places in your local neighborhood. You can find a therapist online in many cities and localities within the United States. We’ll get into that later in this article.
There are hope and helpful tools available for people living with unexplained depression. At BetterHelp, 70 percent of clients saw a decrease in their depression symptoms, according to a study conducted by the Berkeley Well-Being Institute.
These people found that their mental health significantly improved. If you’re struggling with feelings of depression, counseling and other resources can help. Living a fulfilling life should feel good. That’s where therapy can help since there are different types of depression.
One form of treatment available is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. It focuses on changing your thoughts so your emotions are more positive. There are other effective treatments besides CBT for mental health/behavioral health, but CBT has helped many people. Whether you see an online counselor or someone in your local area, counseling can help you through these downtimes.
Many people with chronic pain experience depression. When you’re constantly hurting physically it can take a toll on your emotional well-being. Chronic pain and depression can have an overlap with substance abuse and mental health. Many of those experiencing this report feeling depressed in addition to managing their physical pain symptoms.
Signs of depression
Depression is more than feeling sad. Here are some other feelings you may experience if you are depressed.
Behavioral changes
When thinking of depression and its symptoms, it’s more than just mental health. It’s behavioral health as well. Behavioral health is the connection between your health and the behaviors you exhibit.
Major depression has a big impact on your behavioral health, and if you see your behaviors changing or being negatively affected by substance abuse and mental health, talk to someone today.
You lose interest in the things you used to love
Losing interest in activities is a classic symptom of depression. Many of us change our interests with time. What you were interested in 10 years ago may not be what you’re interested in today. However, if you suddenly lost interest in the things you loved and you aren’t replacing them with activities that mentally stimulate you and give you joy, then this may be a sign of depression.
Difficulty concentrating
Another symptom of depression that can feel like it’s something else is having trouble concentrating. When you are depressed, it’s challenging to perform basic tasks, including staying focused on one task.
Headaches
Sometimes, depression comes in something more painful, such as headaches or random pains. These pains may not go away with medicine, and it can create a vicious cycle of your depression flaring up because you hurt so much. Sometimes, the pain is all in your head, and other times, it may be a sign of something more serious.
Suicidal thoughts
In extreme cases of depression, suicidal thoughts may occur. Suicide prevention is important for those who are experiencing extreme depression. Your life is worth living, yet depression can tell you otherwise. Here is how you can realize if you or someone you know is suicidal, and how suicide depression can help:
· Someone is giving away their supplies for free and writing out a will.
· They may purchase a gun or another fatal weapon.
· They talk about how life isn’t worth living anymore.
· They may seclude themselves.
· A suicidal person may say they’re going to kill themselves directly. While they may not follow through, take every threat of suicide as seriously as possible.
Suicide prevention is the key to helping a person. The goal is for a depressed individual to have the resources available. One way to achieve suicide prevention is by calling the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. The National Suicide Prevention Hotline is available 24/7. Call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline if you’ve had serious thoughts about suicide.
Types of depression
There are many types of depression and mental health issues; it’s not a monolith whatsoever. Here are some types of depression you may experience.
Seasonal affective disorder
If you feel depressed, check what time of year it is. Incredibly, the season can affect your mood.
This is known as a seasonal affective disorder, or fittingly, SAD. SAD is when your depression relates to the changing seasons. For most people with SAD, depression happens in the fall and winter parts of the year. However, there are some cases where SAD or seasonal affective disorder can happen in the spring or summer.
SAD has similar symptoms to depression, and the effects can last quite a while. Usually, Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD emerges because of the lack of light in the winter. Also, many people stay indoors in the winter more, meaning that they experience cabin fever.
For those that experience Summer SAD, the long, hot days can grate on you as well, giving you depression. Your seasonal preference could affect when you develop the seasonal affective disorder.
Many treat seasonal affective as a case of the winter blues or the summertime blues and write it off, but don’t be that way. You should seek help for it whenever possible.
Postpartum depression
If you’re a new parent, postpartum depression may occur. You’re a parent of a beautiful baby, and yet you feel depressed. This is due to the hormonal changes your body has gone through, along with the intimidation of raising a child. Postpartum depression is often not taken seriously because it’s written off as a case of the baby blues. However, baby blues is a minor case, and postpartum depression is a full-blown case of depression.
In people who have given birth, this form of depression may go away after the body readjusts to its pre-pregnancy stage. However, many parents of any sex or gender experience postpartum depression that lasts for years. It’s important to note that postpartum depression can effect fathers and adoptive parents, too. Take postpartum depression seriously and get treatment whenever possible. If you don’t treat your postpartum depression, it may lead to more severe mental health issues in the future.
Situational depression
Sometimes, you may feel depressed because of a problem you’re in. Many people with depression don’t have a chemical imbalance but are instead dealing with a problem in life.
This is often due to a change in your life. If you moved, for instance, you may have been glad to go to a new place, but your mind is having problems adjusting. If you’ve recently dealt with a loss, you may have some depression because of it.
Usually, your depression will go away as you adjust to the change or rid yourself of the situation. However, if the situation is something you cannot control, it may be worth it to speak to a therapist and learn ways to handle the depression.
Major depression
This is when you have depression most days of the week. For people with major depressive disorder, it can be hard to function, keep a job, and live a normal life. A person with major depression must seek help immediately, as it can end up destroying one’s life.
Persistent depression
This is when you’ve had depression for longer than a couple of years. Despite this, it never seems to get easier. Having persistent depression that you don’t treat can definitely lead to other mental health issues down the line.
Seeking help
If you’re reading this article, and you want to find a therapist, that’s great news. We want to help you achieve that goal. Counseling is one of the best treatments for people who are living with depression. Many people struggle with unhappiness and depression. You don’t have to experience these low feelings alone. BetterHelp has online counselors who understand what it feels like to battle with your emotions.
Depression is a severe condition, but with the right treatment, you can make it through these dark times. Whether you are battling unexplained unhappiness or clinical depression, an online counselor cares about what you’re experiencing and wants to help you learn to cope. Research shows that online therapy can be a powerful tool in treating depression.
Opening up about your feelings is going to help you feel better and learn to manage them. When you go to therapy, start by being honest with yourself and voice your feelings. Say “I am sad.” It feels powerful. When you state your feelings aloud, your therapist is clear on how you’re experiencing life at the moment. Sometimes, recognition is the beginning step, however. When you’re down, even just recognizing something is amiss can greatly help you.
However, you are stronger than you know, and your online counselor will help you learn to foster that strength and bravery during therapy sessions. To get started all you need to do is sign up with an email address. Check out BetterHelp Counselors who can find a therapist for you.**
