Depression: What it is and what you Can do about it.

Am I Depressed?

"I feel so tired all the time."  "Life isn't as easy or as fun as it used to be."  "What's the point of trying, nothing works anyway."  If these statements sound familiar, you might be depressed.  People use different words to describe depression: sad, blue, down, tired, just not myself lately, lonely, cranky, and irritable; but the meaning is usually the same.  If you've experienced a combination (five or more) of the following symptoms for a couple of weeks or more, you may be depressed:

• Feeling sad or empty a good part of the day
• Decreased interest in activities that you would normally think of as enjoyable
• Changes in appetite (either increases or decreases)
• Changes in sleep pattern (either wanting to sleep a lot or having difficulty sleeping)
• Decreases in physical activity or the opposite, physical agitation
• Fatigue or loss of energy
• Feelings of worthlessness or guilt
• Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
• Thoughts of death or dying, or suicidal thoughts

 What Causes Depression?

A number of things can contribute to depression:

1.  Long Term Stress                              5.  Chemical Imbalances

2.  Self-Defeating Ways of Thinking     6.  Unhealthy lifestyle patterns

3.  Unresolved trauma                            7.  Loss of faith and hope

4.  Unhealthy relationships                     8.  Difficult life transitions

We often experience more than one of these factors at a time, and life gets harder.  There's no shame in feeling depressed.  Almost everyone gets depressed from time to time.  But if you aren't able to shake the depression and it's getting in the way, it may be time to get some help.

Can I Really Feel Better?

The answer is Yes!  You don't have to feel so badly.  By talking with an experienced counselor, you can learn new, healthier ways of thinking.  Thinking differently, you begin to set goals that are reachable.  You learn to stop tolerating those stresses that diminish your energy for life.  You remove old obstacles to happiness.  Some people benefit from taking medication.  And of course, a healthy faith in God and involvement with others that support your beliefs and values is indispensable.  Depression is treatable and you can feel better.