Penny Writes: What is Depression?

Depression. Let’s examine the word. Dictionary.com defines the word Depression as: “A mood disorder characterized by an inability to experience pleasure, difficulty in concentrating, disturbance of sleep and appetite, and feelings of sadness, guilt, and helplessness.”
Some people think that Depression is not real. That it’s simply “being sad” when it is so much more than that. The depth of hopelessness is so overwhelming that it overshadows everything in your life. There is a darkness that surrounds every aspect of your life. It doesn’t matter what is happening in your life. You could be expecting your first grandchild, or you just won the lottery. No matter what, this darkness is prominent. It blocks out any joy.
Those that think you can turn depression off and on like a light switch have never experienced real depression.  Being “sad”, or “low”, or “bummed out”, or “down in the dumps” happens to everyone.  This is not depression.
There are many TYPES of depression and many, many different symptoms for them.

• Clinical Depression
• Dysthymia
• Manic Depression
• Postpartum Depression
• Seasonal Depression
• Psychotic Depression
• Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder
• Atypical Depression
• Situational Depression
• Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder
• These are all types of depression and there are more.

If you have been experiencing some of the following signs and symptoms, most of the day, nearly every day, for at least 2 weeks, you may be experiencing depression:

Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” mood
Feelings of hopelessness or pessimism
Feelings of irritability, frustration, or restlessness
Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness
Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities
Decreased energy, fatigue, or feeling slowed down
Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions
Difficulty sleeping, waking early in the morning, or oversleeping
Changes in appetite or unplanned weight changes
Physical aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that do not have a clear physical cause and do not go away with treatment
Thoughts of death or suicide or suicide attempts

Not everyone who is depressed experiences every one of these symptoms. Some people experience only a few symptoms, while others experience many symptoms. Symptoms associated with depression interfere with day-to-day functioning and cause significant distress for the person experiencing them.
I had one commenter describe her depression as feeling “empty inside”.  Some have described it as being in a black pit, kept from the light.  Hopelessness and helplessness are common feelings.
If you think that you might have depression, you might ask yourself “What kind of depression do I have?”. A good place to start is with a family physician. Your physician can help you figure out what you are dealing with. Sometimes the answer is medication, sometimes it’s therapy. Your physician can point you in the right direction.
Above all, TALK to someone. Open up to someone that you trust.
If you or a loved one is in a crisis situation, call the Suicide Prevention Hotline at 988.
What if you’re not in a crisis but really need to talk to someone? You can still call 988. They will listen and they will help. If you can’t muster the nerve to call someone, you can text. Text to 741741. You can do an online chat at 988lifeline.org. You can even Tweet with a crisis counselor at @800273TALK on X (Twitter).
Next time, join me for information on resources that we can all access nationwide and beyond for Mental Health Help.
Thank you for joining me on this journey.
My best to you and yours,
Penny Wilson

*I am not a medical professional. My information comes from my own research and personal experiences. If you have any questions or if there is a subject on Mental Health that you would like to see me cover here, please reach out to me at pennywilsonwrites@gmail.com. You can also see more of my writings on this and other subjects at pennywilsonwrites.com. For Mental Health information and articles, click on my Mental Health Help tab.
**My sources for the information in this article are from psycom.net or Psycom, a mental health information website, dictionary.com and nimh.nih.gov, the National Institute of Mental Health.

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