“Oh my God *insert first world problem* I’m so depressed!”
‘Depression’ is a bit of a media-buzz word at the moment,
which on the one hand is great. This means: increased coverage, more investment
in services and a greater understanding amongst the masses…right?
In today’s post, I am going to talk about what, in the
simplest terms, depression actually is
and why you shouldn’t be so frivolous with The D Word.
Most importantly, depression is an illness. It works in
exactly the same, cruel, way as any other illness. It does not matter to
cancer, crohn’s or arthritis how rich, popular or pretty you are. Depression is
the same. Really.
So, what does depression actually look like? How do I know
if I have it? Here’s a list of the most common symptoms of depression. It’s
obviously worth noting that this is not an exclusive list:
- Tiredness and loss of energy
- Persistent sadness
- Loss of confidence and self-esteem
- Difficulty concentrating and making
decisions
- Avoiding others and becoming isolated
and lonely
- Not being able to enjoy things that are
usually pleasurable or interesting
- Undue feelings of guilt or worthlessness
- Feelings of helplessness and
hopelessness
- Sleeping problems - difficulties in
getting off to sleep, waking much earlier than usual or, oversleeping
- Finding it hard to function at
work/college/school
- Change in appetite
- Loss of sex drive and/ or sexual
problems
- Physical aches and pains
- Thinking about suicide and death
- Self-harm
If you have noticed that you’re experiencing 4 or more of
the above, for the majority of the day, almost every day, for at least 2 weeks,
it might be time to consider talking to somebody and booking an appointment
with your GP.
This is not to say that if you are not experiencing the
above symptoms, or are simply in a bad place at the moment that you shouldn't talk to somebody about it. You absolutely should and I urge you to do so. What this
does mean, is that depression is very real and very common. In fact 1 in 5 of
us will experience a mental health problem this year; depression and anxiety
are the most common. So maybe next time you’re complaining about your iPhone battery
only lasting half a day, choose another adjective because crucially, depression
is an illness, not an emotion.
This is great Della! I'd also recommend this very funny, accessible and informative cartoon on what depression can be like: http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/adventures-in-depression.html
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