Depression often feels like living life in a fog of hopelessness with no ability to feel happy. It’s not just feelings, thinking things through and making decisions is hard and keeping up with the pace of things is difficult. You and the world around you may seem dull, like the colors have faded and everything is gray. Motivation is difficult when you can find it and it may be difficult or impossible to remember a time when you felt happy. It sucks.

In addition to sadness and difficulty thinking, depression also affects us physically. Difficulty falling or staying asleep is just as common as sleeping too much and struggling to get out of bed. Losing your appetite, not wanting to eat, or trying to eat away the sadness are other ways depression impacts our bodies. Aches and pains, especially head and muscle aches are common and often as persistent as the feelings of hopelessness.

Melancholy, low motivation, and difficulty concentrating often leads to withdrawing socially. Isolating is common and it makes the other symptoms of depression worse as feeling guilty or ashamed about not feeling well grow. It can seem like in the blink of an eye, you’ve stopped doing anything you used to enjoy doing and haven’t noticed for weeks or months at a time.

If any of this resonates with you, know that you’re not alone. Depression is a common challenge many people deal with. We’re here to help.

Everyone experiences sadness, anger, low motivation, and irritability at times, but depression is an experience of these that is ongoing and feels like there is no way out. There are a number of ideas about why people become depressed and regardless of the perspective, depression is complex and involves physical and mental challenges. Burnout, trauma, and prolonged anxiety can lead to depression as much as physical factors may contribute as well. Persistent sadness or hopelessness, difficulty thinking clearly, and physical symptoms are features of all types of depression.

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is likely the type of depression you’re most familiar with. MDD generally involves a period of persistent, ongoing sadness and despair that last for weeks or longer. Signs and symptoms include a loss of interest in most to all activities, absence of joy and happiness, changes in appetite and weight, and sleep difficulties. Often a sense of worthlessness and sometimes thoughts of death or suicide can happen. 

Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia) is a milder form of depression that involves lower levels of the same experiences as MDD. Dysthymia is less cyclical or episodic and more of a long-term inability to experience joy, low self-esteem, difficulty managing stress, and lack of motivation. Many people living with dysthymia find it difficult to remember a time when they felt happy.

Bipolar Disorder is another form of depression that is frequently talked about but less common than the others. Bipolar Disorder includes both episodes of depression like those experienced with MDD with alternate periods of high energy, elevated mood, irritability, energy, and possibly psychotic experiences as well. The elevated periods are referred to as manic or hypomanic (less severe) episodes. The switch between both states requires monitoring and management, often with medication and working with a psychiatric provider.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is like the name implies - depressive symptoms during a season. Often SAD is experienced in the fall and winter months when there is less sunlight but some people experience SAD during other seasons. Because SAD is linked to seasons, treatment is focused on support during the months most impacted.

Postpartum Depression (PPD) happens after childbirth in women. A combination of rapidly changing hormones, sleep and lifestyle changes and the responsibilities that come with caring for a newborn are contributing factors. PPD can last for months or longer.

Here are the most common signs and symptoms of depression regardless of which type:

• Physical Symptoms: People experiencing depression often have ongoing fatigue and decreased energy, difficulty sleeping (insomnia) or sleeping too much, and challenges with appetite (overeating or not feeling hungry). Aches and pains such as muscle or headaches and issues with digestion are also common signs of depression.
• Behavioral Signs: It’s common for people with depression to be less active or engaged socially and with activities. Many times the idea of interacting with others feels overwhelming and that leads to further isolation from the world around. The lack of joy with depression makes it difficult to feel interested in or motivated to do anything.
• Emotional Range: Depression is best characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, pessimism, hopelessness, and worthlessness. Often anxiety, irritability, and frustration are experienced and individuals may feel guilty for how they feel or how they interact with others.
• Cognitive Symptoms: Depression clouds your mind and makes concentration, memory, and decision making difficult. Your thoughts may feel clouded in a fog or may happen slower than you can remember. Thoughts of death, not waking up, or suicide may occur as well.

If you’re experiencing multiple signs and symptoms described above, you may benefit from depression therapy. If you are experiencing thoughts of suicide or harming yourself, reaching out is important and may be a matter of life and death.

Everyone is different and our approach to working with you is personalized to best meet your needs. A part of our work with you includes skill development to help you manage your emotions, cope with stressors as they arise, calm yourself down, and improve your social skills. Our skilled treatment team will work with you to understand your unique needs and help you develop skills to reach your goals. Some of the approaches we use when treating depression are:

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

• Mindfulness Based Therapy

Mindfulness is more than a part of our namesake, it’s a part of our work with clients. It can help you free yourself from judging yourself and others, your feelings, and your experiences. With practicing mindfulness, you can create space to notice more than just your thoughts and reactions and make a little room for more joyful feelings. Mindfulness is simply directing your attention to the present moment and observing your thoughts and feelings without judgment. Our team can teach you mindfulness skills and techniques to work with your thoughts, your emotions, and your body.