You may casually say, “I’m depressed,”  when you feel sad.  But are you really depressed? Can you free yourself from it by sheer willpower alone? How can you overcome depression?

Depression isn’t just a passing sadness.  Though feeling blue can be a symptom, clinical depression goes beyond that. It is an emotional condition that comes with a host of symptoms, impacting your life in ways you may not have imagined. It can wreak havoc on your relationships, career, and emotional and physical well-being. It can ruin opportunities for a wonderful life.

Grim as the outlook can be, there is hope. Like any condition, depression or its symptoms can be stopped from completely destroying your life with treatment. It can be difficult to stay positive in the grip of depressive symptoms. This is why you need to understand what’s gripping you and how you can escape it. Depression is powerful, and you need something more powerful to overcome it: knowledge and the right treatment in the hands of a capable professional.

Depression: What Is It?

Clinical depression or major depressive disorder, according to the National Mental Health Institute (NHMI), is “a common but serious mood disorder … To be diagnosed with depression, the symptoms must be present for at least two weeks.”  There are several forms of depression. The more familiar forms are dysthymia, postpartum depression, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), and psychotic depression.

Dysthymia is a persistent type that can last for two years or longer, characterized by an occurrence of a major depression plus minor symptoms or episodes. Postpartum depression, as the name suggests, happens after childbirth. Since it can also develop during pregnancy, it can also be called by its alternative name: “perinatal depression.” SAD is a form that usually sets in during winter as a response to having less natural sunlight, with the symptoms lifting as the season gets warmer. Psychotic depression is a more severe type and is characterized by hallucinations and/or delusions.

NHMI also lists other types of emotional conditions with manifestations that meet the criteria for clinical depression. One is bipolar disorder, which has a depressive phase when the patient is not experiencing mania, a euphoric state. Two other forms are premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) among reproductive-aged females and disruptive mood dysregulation disorder among children and teenagers.

Triggers: Can You Avoid Being Depressed? Is It Your Fault?

Depression affects all ages, genders, and ethnicities, without discrimination. In America, it is a leading cause of disability, affecting approximately 10% of the population in any given year and with a cost of more than $30 billion each year. These stats prove that depression isn’t a rare condition. If you get depressed, don’t blame yourself for it; it’s not your fault, nor does it makes you a weak person.

There are many factors that may increase your risk for depression: biological factors such as genetics or medical conditions, personality, environment, life events or experiences, and even medications. It is, however, impossible to say which are contributing to your own case of depression. Since most of these factors are beyond your control, it is clear that depression isn’t something you could have prevented or should be ashamed of.

Your genetic makeup and biological constitution dictate your cellular processes. You don’t have the power to control or influence them. It is your body; you can’t trade it for another, but you can do your best to keep it healthy. The key is to know what makes you vulnerable to depression and what the symptoms are, so you can seek professional help promptly when needed.

Depressive Symptoms: Are You Depressed?

Sadness and loneliness are natural responses to some life circumstances. However, if your sadness becomes persistent and intense so that you feel overwhelmed and hopeless, don’t ignore it, especially when you are at high risk for depression.

If you have depression, Mental Health America says you may experience several of the following signs:

• Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” mood
• Sleeping too much or too little, middle of the night or early morning waking
• Reduced appetite and weight loss, or increased appetite and weight gain
• Loss of pleasure and interest in activities once enjoyed, including sex
• Restlessness, irritability
• Persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment (such as chronic pain or digestive disorders)
• Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions
• Fatigue or loss of energy
• Feeling guilty, hopeless, or worthless
• Thoughts of suicide or death

These symptoms can also be experienced by people without depression. Further, while these are the most common ones, the type and intensity of symptoms vary from one person to another. This makes recognizing depression on your own difficult, particularly among children.

Seeking Real Help, Positively

Not having the power to prevent depression can be depressing too, but it should not stop you from seeking help. If you are experiencing pervasive, intense, and overwhelming depressive symptoms, seek help from Carolina Counseling Services — Pittsboro, NC, without delay. You need a professional to assess your symptoms and provide a diagnosis and treatment. Without treatment, your condition may get worse.

Hopelessness and helplessness can make you feel trapped. However, denying yourself the professional help you need is tantamount to depriving yourself of a good life. Depression is like a black cloud that will hover perpetually over your life until you do something to overcome it. Do not fear or be ashamed to seek treatment, because you can’t just will depression away or snap out of it. It is like quicksand—without treatment, you sink deeper and deeper into it.

If you want real help, call Carolina Counseling Services — Pittsboro, NC. One of the independently contracted therapists can help you better understand your emotional condition and treatment options. Knowledge can be liberating: it can release you from unnecessary worry and help you focus on getting better with a CCS therapist.

Related Articles:

• Getting Out of Depression Unscathed
• Living Without the Emotional Baggage of Depression: What You Should Know
• Managing Depression As A Couple
• Depression in Older Adults: Rediscovering A New Purpose