How Do I Know If I'm Depressed?

Sometimes people can identify multiple mood-related symptoms, and then are surprised to learn they have depression. Everyone goes through life stressors…health problems, loss of a job, financial strain, or grief. And there is an adjustment process of working through feelings and gaining more acceptance of these difficult life events. It is normal to feel stressed, down, sad, anxious and even hopeless during these times. So how do you know if your feelings are a matter of adjusting to a life crisis versus a diagnosis of Depressive Disorder? Here is a list of symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder:

1)  Loss of interest or pleasure in things you previously enjoyed. (Social events, going to church, being with friends, reading, exercising, etc.)

2)  Feeling down, sad, empty nearly all day, every day. (Note: In children this can be expressed as irritability.)

3)  Changes in sleep. You may have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or be sleeping more than usual for you.

4)  Fatigue or loss of energy.

5)  Feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness or guilt that do not subside when the crisis subsides.

6)  Trouble concentrating or indecisiveness.

7)  Thoughts of dying, or planning how you would take your life; past attempts at suicide.

If you have several of these symptoms, or you just need to ask questions and explore your thoughts with someone, contact a mental health provider in your area. If you are having thoughts of self-harm, please seek emergency help from your local hospital or an emergency care facility or call 911. You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.  (Symptoms of depression obtained from DSM-5, American Psychiatric Association)

Gayla Partin, LISW-CP, Counseling Sumter, LLC

How Our Thoughts Can Affect Our Feelings

There is a treatment commonly used by therapists called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT for short. Simply put, CBT helps people recognize unhelpful thought patterns. It’s about noticing what you are thinking instead of just thinking, thinking, thinking…

There are numerous online resources for CBT education and worksheets. I use one in my practice from the Psychology Tools website. It lists several unhelpful styles of thinking such as magnification or blowing things out of proportion, focusing more on mistakes than successes, using judgmental words with ourselves like “I should”, “I must”, or worrying about a future event we have no control over.

Try an experiment where you take a day or even an hour and observe your thoughts at regular intervals, particularly if you are feeling worried, anxious, or down. Notice what you are saying to yourself. Are you beating yourself up for something you wish you had done? Are you trying to figure out how something in the future is going to turn out, even though it’s something you cannot change or control? Are you thinking someone is upset with you although you have no evidence to indicate this is true?

If you find that you are thinking in these ways, just notice it. Don’t try to change it or “fix it”. That can be unhelpful too. Just noticing can help slow our thoughts, calm our body’s reaction to stress, and reduce unhelpful thinking patterns.

If you would like to learn more about CBT and how to use it to help slow down your anxious thoughts, contact a licensed therapist who is trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

 Gayla W. Partin, LISW-CP, Counseling Sumter, LLC, 2/23/2018

3 Ways to Help Depression

1)     Exercise – This is on most every list of ways to help depression. Getting your heart rate up (and most resources say it doesn’t have to be for very long) helps you physically and mentally. If you can get outside in the sun and fresh air for a quick brisk walk, you will notice that you feel refreshed and your mind may even feel clearer. If the weather doesn’t permit outdoor activity you can walk indoors at your local mall, do some stretching at home, or dust off the treadmill or stationary bike. Don’t judge yourself if you only have 5 or 10 minutes to exercise. It counts!

2)     Interact with others – Even if you think you might be an introvert, interacting with people is a good way to boost your mood. Take the step to call someone and invite them for coffee. Join a local civic group or volunteer to help a local service organization. Join a local church or if you are already attending, look for a smaller group to join. If your health or life circumstances have you feeling isolated, contact a pastor or counselor and set up an appointment to talk. No matter your situation, there is someone who can help.

3)     Tap into your creativity – Most people have a creative side. If you’ve always wanted to play a musical instrument, call and start lessons today! If you love art, get involved with your local art gallery and sign up for a class. Learn another language. Learn sign language. Even if you are a math lover, you can find a creative way to use your skills. Consider volunteering as a tutor at a local school.

If you are depressed, then any of these 3 things may seem like a mountain you aren’t sure you can climb. Depression can be so severe that it takes away the motivation to do anything. So just do small steps. If you do more today than you did yesterday then that is progress. Don’t judge yourself and try your best. Always contact a local mental health provider if you feel your depression is so severe you are not functioning. There is help!

Gayla Partin, LISW-CP, Counseling Sumter LLC