Reframe What You Think About Depression
Simple steps can help you overcome inertia and move forward, even when you’re down.
Depression can sap your motivation to perform even the simplest of tasks, let alone tackle bigger challenges. Research shows that depressed people have a harder time finding motivation to go to work, go out with friends, even clean the house.
One way to be productive despite depression is to see depression as a habit, says Joseph Luciani, PhD, a psychologist in New York City and the author of Self-Coaching: The Powerful Program to Beat Anxiety and Depression. Viewing depression as a tendency rather than an illness puts you behind the wheel, so to speak, and may help you change your life. Here are 10 ways to find inspiration to take on daily life… despite depression.
Reach Out To A Friend
When you dont want to do anything, reaching out to a friend can sometimes help. Different friends can help in different ways. Some are more empathetic than others and some friends are a healthy distraction. You could reach out to a friend to get some suggestions on what to do, a friend who gives good advice could help the most. If you want to vent to someone, try to reach out to a friend who is more empathetic.
Why Andheonia Makes It Hard To Function
As for why anhedonia makes it hard to function, we need to look at the brains reward system. Though, exactly how anhedonia works or where the process goes awry is still a complicated question researchers havent quite figured out the answer to.
In brief, as Science Alert describes, pleasure is the feeling we get that drives us to seek out a stimulus. As we find pleasure, our brains neurochemistry activates a complex system that drives us to repeat what makes us feel good. For example, we discover that cookies taste awesome, so we go back to the cookie jar over and over.
This process is controlled by two main areas of the brain, one that regulates our neurochemistry the cortico-ventral basal gangli and another part of the brain called the medial prefrontal cortex acts as a traffic cop for pleasurable acts, allowing oh-so-good dopamine levels to riseand eliciting a pleasant sensation.
When we lose interest in activities, several facets of this process may be disrupted. Some recent research suggests that our mPFC traffic cop has essentially taken a vacation and decreases its activity level. Other theories point to an imbalance in neurotransmitters, particularly dopamine, one of the feel good chemicals in our brain. Additional research identifies that GABA , glutamate , serotonin, and opioids may also play their part in the process.
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Check In With Yourself
Are you meeting your physical or emotional needs? You can start by asking about yourself: For example, Do I need to eat? Do I need alone time? Would I feel better with people around me? Am I hydrated? Should I get more/less sleep? Depending on how you answer these questions, you may need to make sure you set some time for self-care. If youre having trouble finding ways to self-care, here are some suggestions:
- Try arts & Crafts- Video streaming platforms can teach you different methods if you want to learn about your artistic ability.
- Clean up- Many people find cleaning their space to be relaxing and refreshing. Even a quick 10-minute tidy-up could motivate you to feel calmer, more at peace, and grounded.
- Play spa- Try taking a warm bath, aromatherapy or giving yourself an at-home facial. This could be the first step in making yourself feel much better.
What Is Samhsa’s National Helpline
SAMHSAs National Helpline, , or TTY: is a confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year, information service, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members facing mental and/or substance use disorders. This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations.
Also visit the online treatment locator, or send your zip code via text message: 435748 to find help near you. Read more about the HELP4U text messaging service.
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Don’t Suffer In Silence
Get support, whether from family, friends, your academic advisor, campus counseling center, or a trusted online community. A heart-to-heart talk with someone you trust can help you get rid of toxic feelings and may even give you a fresh perspective.
If these steps don’t bring relief, or if you are still unable to cope and feel as if the stress is affecting how you function every day, it could be something more acute and chronic–like depression. Don’t let it go unchecked!
Don’t Beat Yourself Up
Above all, you mustn’t beat yourself if you can’t figure out the reasons behind how you feel. Not only will this not help, but it may leave you feeling worse off than you already were. You may find yourself getting frustrated with yourself and asking, “Why can’t I just be happy?” It can begin to affect your self-esteem and cause other health impairments. When it gets to this point, it’s time to seek professional advice.
The truth of the matter is, sometimes life is not that easy. Creating a good life with high levels of motivation and happiness is sometimes beyond our control. There are so many factors that contribute to our moods and feelings every day, making it seem hard to always feel in control of ourselves. The way that you’re feeling can be related to everyday circumstances that are worsening your mental health it might not all be in your head. Every person has moments where they do not feel within control and when they are feeling overwhelmed to the point of contemplating giving up. It’s time to seek help if you feel stuck in this unmotivated place choosing to remain stuck in this space will only make things worse.
However, most of those people can regain control over their lives, and so can you. Utilize your support: whether that be family, friends, co-workers, church, your therapist, or someone else who you feel confident that you can confide in.
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Life Events And Depression
Research suggests that continuing difficulties, such as long-term unemployment, living in an abusive or uncaring relationship, long-term isolation or loneliness or prolonged exposure to stress at work can increase the risk of depression.
Significant adverse life events, such as losing a job, going through a separation or divorce, or being diagnosed with a serious illness, may also trigger depression, particularly among people who are already at risk because of genetic, developmental or other personal factors.
Antenatal And Postnatal Depression
Women are at an increased risk of depression during pregnancy and in the year following childbirth . This time frame may also be referred to as the perinatal period.
The causes of depression at this time can be complex and are often the result of a combination of factors. In the days immediately following birth, many women experience the baby blues, which is a common condition related to hormonal changes, affecting up to 80 per cent of women who have given birth.
The baby blues, or the general stress of adjusting to pregnancy or a new baby, are common experiences, but are different from depression.
Depression is longer lasting and can affect not only the mother, but her relationship with her baby, the childs development, the mothers relationship with her partner and with other members of the family.
Up to one in 10 women will experience depression during pregnancy. This increases to 16 per cent in the first three months after having a baby.
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Where Can I Go For Help
If you are unsure of where to go for help, ask your family doctor or health care provider. You can also find resources online including the NIMH website at www.nimh.nih.gov/FindHelp, or check with your insurance carrier to find someone who participates in your plan. Hospital doctors can help in an emergency.
Difficulty Experiencing Joy Or Connection
When were depressed, it can take all of the enjoyment out of the things we love and make it more difficult for us to connect to those closest to us. We may begin to lose interest in hobbies, friendships, schoolwork, social activities, sex or life in general. When we find that we are no longer enjoying or finding pleasure in the things we used to enjoy, this can be a sign of depression. We may also isolate ourselves from close friends, family members or others who care about us, which can perpetuate the symptoms of depression.
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Impact Of Doing Nothing
Suppose all you feel like doing is lying on the couch and watching Netflix rather than going outside and living more often than not. Or maybe even doing basic daily tasks like washing dishes making the bed or tidying your room seem like too much to accept. In that case, there may be an underlying mental health condition negatively affecting you. These feelings can be situational, such as if you experienced a break-up or are sick. They can also be more long-term in the form of depression, where those feelings of low mood, hopelessness, and sadness creep up.
Do you feel drained of emotional and physical energy? Or maybe you dont feel like doing anything? Is it hard to get out of bed? Once you’ve started the day, are you fighting to get things done? What if it goes beyond these moments and you have no motivation to do anything? These are awful feelings and signal a lot of stress, and you don’t have to be alone without any help by your side. There are successful tools to help you find and develop your sense of motivation and start living again.
What You Can Do
First, you may want to visit your primary care doctor, especially if these feelings are unusual for you or have lasted much of the time for days or for a few weeks Your doctor will be able to perform some diagnostic testing and blood work on you to rule out an underlying health issue to get to the root cause of what’s causing these unmotivated thoughts and feelings.
Start Feeling Better
Ask For What You Need
It might feel easy to isolate, but turning to someone who loves and cares about you may be a better option. Most people arent mind readers so they wont know what you may need unless you ask. For instance, if there is something that a sibling is doing to both of you, you could always talk to that sibling or discuss it with a parent to make sure your needs are being met. Trusting a loved one can help make the communication effectively improve with time and practice.
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I Cant Do Anything Right
Living with a mental health condition like depression may make you feel as though you cant do anything right. Fighting feelings of sadness, exhaustion, and worthlessness, makes it hard to find the energy to do much else. Feeling unmotivated to complete tasks that you used to enjoy or that seem easy may make you feel like a failure. Others past judgments and frustration with your lack of motivation or follow-through may add to this feeling. And you may even start to believe I cant do anything right! But this feeling does not define you. Though changing this belief may be difficult, it is possible.
Ask What Would Be Helpful
It can be tempting to give advice to a friend who is struggling. However, its important to ask that person what they need or what would be helpful for them. This may look different for everyone. For instance, your friend may need help with cleaning their apartment or they may need someone to check on them occasionally. Its also normal for people to not know exactly what they need. If thats the case, set up another time to talk or check in with them later, so they have time to think about what might be most helpful.
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Getting Help For Loss Of Interest
If any of this sounds familiar and youve lost of interest in previously enjoyed activities, reach out for help. Clinical depression with anhedonia, if left untreated, can have serious consequences that make it difficult to function in our social, work, and school lives. Know this isnt your fault depression is an illness.
You cant get your blood drawn and they say, Oh, this marker is out of range. Thats why you have depression. So its easy then to dismiss it or minimize it as all in your head or stigmatize it.All that is simply untrue, says Simon Rego. Its important to recognize its a real medical condition andits really important, especially if its persisting for at least a couple of weeks, to reach out and get help from a professional.
A mental health professional or your family doctor if thats more comfortable can address your depression symptoms. If youre having trouble reaching out for support, ask a loved one if they will help you search for a service provider, make the call, or even take you to your first appointment. Though we may not know everything about what causes depression, it can absolutely be treated. If youre looking for help with depression symptoms, consider Talkspaces online therapy and telehealth psychiatry services a convenient way to start feeling better.
Exercise Is Something You Can Do Right Now To Boost Your Mood
Your fatigue will improve if you stick with it. Starting to exercise can be difficult when you’re depressed and feeling exhausted. But research shows that your energy levels will improve if you keep with it. Exercise will help you to feel energized and less fatigued, not more.
Find exercises that are continuous and rhythmic. The most benefits for depression come from rhythmic exercisesuch as walking, weight training, swimming, or martial artswhere you move both your arms and legs.
Add a mindfulness element, especially if your depression is rooted in unresolved trauma or fed by obsessive, negative thoughts. Focus on how your body feels as you movesuch as the sensation of your feet hitting the ground, or the feeling of the wind on your skin, or the rhythm of your breathing.
Pair up with an exercise partner. Not only does working out with others enable you to spend time socializing, it can also help to keep you motivated. Try joining a running club, seeking out tennis partners, or enrolling in a soccer or volleyball league.
Take a dog for a walk. If don’t own a dog, you can volunteer to walk homeless dogs for an animal shelter or rescue group. You’ll not only be helping yourself but also be helping to socialize and exercise the dogs, making them more adoptable.
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The Risk Of Isolation
It can sometimes be hard to explain your thoughts and feelings to others. You might find it difficult to talk about your depression and instead you might cut yourself off from other people. The more overwhelming your symptoms, the more isolated and lonely you might become.
Without treatment and support, depression can have an impact on your relationships, work, finances and overall health, so it’s important to get help as early as possible. See our pages on for more information.
“It feels like I’m stuck under a huge grey-black cloud. It’s dark and isolating, smothering me at every opportunity.”
What Are The Different Types Of Depression
The most common types of depression are:
- Major depressiondepressive symptoms that interfere with a man’s ability to work, sleep, study, eat, and enjoy most aspects of life. An episode of major depression may occur only once in a person’s lifetime. But it is common for a person to have several episodes. Special forms of major depression include:
- Psychotic depressionsevere depression associated with delusions or hallucinations . These psychotic symptoms are depression-themed. For example, a man may believe he is sick or poor when he is not, or he may hear voices that are not real that say that he is worthless.
- Seasonal affective disordercharacterized by depression symptoms that appear every year during the winter months when there is less natural sunlight.
- Persistent depressive disorder depressive symptoms that last a long time but are less severe than those of major depression.
- Minor depressionsimilar to major depression and persistent depressive disorder, but symptoms are less severe and may not last as long.
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Take Care Of Your Body
A healthy body can help you manage stress. Get 7 to 9 hours of sleep, eat healthy food, stay hydrated and exercise regularly. Go easy on the caffeine. Shorting yourself on sleep, and especially pulling an all-nighter, robs you of energy and your ability to concentrate. A healthy diet improves your ability to learn. Don’t skip breakfast.
Personal Factors That Can Lead To Depression
Personal factors that can lead to a risk of depression include:
- family history depression can run in families and some people will be at an increased genetic risk. However, this doesnt mean that a person will automatically experience depression if a parent or close relative has had the condition.
- personality some people may be more at risk because of their personality, particularly if they tend to worry a lot, have low self-esteem, are perfectionists, are sensitive to personal criticism, or are self-critical and negative
- serious medical conditions these can trigger depression in two ways. Serious conditions can bring about depression directly or can contribute to depression through the associated stress and worry, especially if it involves long-term management of a condition or chronic pain
- drug and alcohol use can both lead to and result from depression. Many people with depression also have drug and alcohol problems.
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