I Believe In You Youre Awesome
Sometimes a person has given up hope that theyll amount to anything in life. Theyve lost all belief in themselves, and feel like nothing they do is right or good enough. Their self-esteem is, in a word, shot.
Thats why it can be helpful to reaffirm that you believe in them. You believe in their ability to once again experience hope, to be the person you once were or even more. That they are still an awesome person, if even if theyre not feeling that way at the moment.
Whats Causing My Sadness
Not knowing whats making you feel so crap makes it hard to find a solution. There are some simple things you can do to help figure it out. First up, its good to understand some obvious things that can get people down, such as experiencing grief or loss of a loved one, caring for someone who is unwell, being sick or having a medical condition or chronic illness.
Then there are other, less expected causes for sadness, such as:
- going through something stressful
- hormonal changes.
Here are some things you can try to feel better:
- Talk to someone you trust, such as a friend or a family member. They might have some insights that you cant identify yourself, which might help you figure out whats causing your sadness.
- Write down your feelings. The causes of your sadness may become more obvious if you write about whats happening in your life and how you feel about it.
- Face things head on. Try not to stay in bed all day avoiding things.
If you can work out whats getting you down, then youll be in a better position to turn your feelings around. Problem-solving strategies can be really helpful in overcoming some issues. If the cause of your sadness isnt really something that can be solved, though, you might need to focus on developing coping strategies instead.
Im Here If You Want To Talk
This is more of a direct suggestion, choosing something that you know the friend or loved one is going to be interested in doing. Maybe they just want to talk . Maybe they need a nudge to get up, get changed, and go out and just do something anything. You can be that person to help them get moving.
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Signs And Symptoms Of Depression
Depression affects people in different ways, and some people might experience some signs but not others.
Only a doctor or mental health professional can diagnose someone with depression, but if youre worried then its important to get help. Signs of depression can be:
- not enjoying things that you used to
- tiredness or low energy, even when you have rested
- having problems sleeping
- changes in how much youre eating
- feeling sad, hopeless or anxious most of the time
- aches or pains that have no obvious cause
- not wanting to see people or go out.
Get more information on the symptoms of depression on the NHS website and from YoungMinds.
4 ways to feel better:
feeling…trapped, down
Whats The Difference Between Sadness And Depression
Whether youve lost a loved one, moved to a new place, or missed out on a job opportunity, there are plenty of stressful and upsetting events that can get you down. However, the difference between sadness and depression is that sadness usually passes with a little time, while depression is a mood disorder that can appear without any specific cause and last for two weeks or more.
Depression impacts almost every part of your life, interfering with how you think, feel, and go about your daily activities like sleeping, working, and socializing. Some common symptoms of depression include:
- Feeling empty
- Difficulty sleeping or sleeping more than normal
- Changes in appetite or weight
- Feelings of hopelessness
- Loss of interest in hobbies or activities
- Irritability or restlessness
- Aches and pains without clear physical causes
- Thoughts of death or suicide
To be diagnosed with depression, these symptoms must be present nearly all day, every day for at least two weeks.
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Risk Factors For Suicide
Not all people with risk factors will be suicidal. In addition to depression or other mental illness, risk factors for suicide include:
- Current or past history of substance abuse
- Past history of suicide attempt
- Family history of suicide
- Family history of mental illness or substance abuse
- Firearms in the home
- Feelings of hopelessness
Symptoms Of Severe Depression
What are the symptoms of severe depression?
- Loss of interest in activities that used to be enjoyable
- Persistent thoughts of something bad happening
- Thoughts of death or suicide or suicide attempts
- In very severe cases, psychotic symptoms
- Inability to take care of oneself, such as eating, bathing, or fulfilling family or work responsibilities
Although you might feel that there’s no hope, talk to your doctor about treatment options. Even severe depression symptoms can be treated.
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Should You Worry About Antidepressant Withdrawal
insomniaPsychiatric Times
More to the point, while you should slowly stop your antidepressant with the help of your doctor, antidepressants do not cause dependence and withdrawal like other substances. Unlike substances that are known to cause addiction, such as alcohol, opioids, and barbiturates, people don’t crave antidepressants. You dont get high from them, and they arent intentionally or compulsively overused. Serious reactions like the seizures and agitation that can follow sudden withdrawal from addictive substances are unheard of when these antidepressants are tapered gradually, note the authors of the Psychiatric Times report.
Suicidal Thoughts And Behaviors
Strong signs of suicidality include talking about wanting to die, making plans, or attempting to take ones own life. Warning signs of suicidal intention include:
- Acquiring the means to commit suicide
- Changes in eating or sleeping habits
- Engaging in risky or self-destructive behavior
- Extreme agitation or anxiety
- Getting one’s affairs in order
- Increased use of substances such as drugs and alcohol
- Intense changes in mood/mood swings
- Saying goodbye to friends and family as though for the last time
- Feeling trapped or hopeless in ones situation
- Talking a lot about death, dying, and violence
- Talking about suicide or wishing that one hadn’t been born
- Withdrawal from friends or family
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What You Can Do To Feel Better
When youre depressed, it can feel like theres no light at the end of the tunnel. But there are many things you can do to lift and stabilize your mood. The key is to start with a few small goals and slowly build from there, trying to do a little more each day. Feeling better takes time, but you can get there by making positive choices for yourself.
Reach out to other people. Isolation fuels depression, so reach out to friends and loved ones, even if you feel like being alone or dont want to be a burden to others. The simple act of talking to someone face-to-face about how you feel can be an enormous help. The person you talk to doesnt have to be able to fix you. They just need to be a good listenersomeone wholl listen attentively without being distracted or judging you.
Get moving. When youre depressed, just getting out of bed can seem daunting, let alone exercising. But regular exercise can be as effective as antidepressant medication in countering the symptoms of depression. Take a short walk or put some music on and dance around. Start with small activities and build up from there.
Eat a mood boosting diet. Reduce your intake of foods that can adversely affect your mood, such as caffeine, alcohol, trans fats, sugar and refined carbs. And increase mood-enhancing nutrients such as Omega-3 fatty acids.
Could It Be Depression
While not everyone with depression will feel sad, unexplainable sadness you cant seem to shake is one of the primary signs of depression.
If your sadness does relate to depression, youll likely feel sad nearly all of the time almost every day, for most of each day, for a period of 2 weeks or longer. Sadness, in other words, seems to become a constant companion.
With depression, youll experience other symptoms, too. If several of the signs below accompany your sad or tearful mood, theres a good chance youre dealing with depression:
- feelings of anxiety or emptiness
- a sense of pessimism and hopelessness about the future
- appetite changes
Chronic sadness, especially when related to depression, might also prompt regular thoughts of death or suicide. Even if you dont have a plan to act on these thoughts, its always best to talk to someone you trust and get support right away .
You might begin to notice your feelings of sadness, along with any other symptoms you experience, follow a specific pattern. Depression can take different forms, and various underlying factors can have an impact on the way your symptoms show up.
A few things to look for:
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When To Get Help For Low Mood Or Depression
Whatever the cause, if negative feelings don’t go away, are too much for you to cope with, or are stopping you from carrying on with your normal life, you may need to make some changes and get some extra support.
If you’re still feeling down after a couple of weeks, talk to your GP or speak to a Breathing Space advisor on 0800 83 85 87 .If you are feeling distressed, in a state of despair or suicidal outwith these hours you can contact NHS 24 on 111 or Samaritans on 116 123 .
Access Professional Support For Loneliness And Depression
If you have found that you continue to feel lonely and depressed regardless of any changes that you make to your lifestyle, you may need a helping hand in order to start feeling better.
You may want to start out by visiting your GP and explaining the thoughts and feelings that you have been experiencing. They can provide you with advice, support and if necessary, access to a service such as Priory where you can receive specialist support and treatment.
You can also come directly to Priory Group, where you will be able to sit down with one of our consultant psychiatrists to determine the best form of treatment or therapy for you to undergo at one of our hospitals or wellbeing centres. The mental health support and treatment that we are able to provide includes weekly therapy sessions, day or half-day sessions at one of our day facilities or residential stays, if deemed necessary.
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What To Do When You Feel Depressed
When feeling depressed, most people want to sit around the house and do nothing, but this can actually worsen depression. Knowing how to feel better when depressed involves learning about depression, knowing yourself and understanding what works for you.
The important thing to remember when trying to feel better is to make reasonable goals. Anything has the possibility of making you feel more depressed if you set an unrealistic goal. For example, exercising is positive, but setting the goal for yourself to run five miles a day might make you feel more depressed if that’s not something you’re able to accomplish. Small goals and small steps forward work best. You can always set bigger goals as you start to feel less depressed.
Socialize With Friends And Family
Even if you are experiencing mild depression or a funk, you might find yourself drawing away from others, avoiding social situations, or not wanting to burden people with your feelings. One of the hardest but most helpful things you can do to see yourself through depression is to find that strong support circle and spend time with the people you love.
Schedule times to visit with family and friends or plan to grab lunch with a coworker so you have a specific time and place where you can lean on others when youre feeling blue. You might also find that some of these people have experienced depression themselves and they might be able to relate with you on the subject and share ideas of what has helped them in the past or just lend an open ear.
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Can Situational Depression Be Treated
The good news is that situational depression is an adjustment disorder, which usually makes it somewhat short-lived. Many times, the event or stressor that is triggering your depression will end or enough time will pass that it will resolve on its own.
Some people can manage situational depression themselves. Often times learning to cope with the situation involves making a deliberate plan and lifestyle changes.
Ehrman recommends these actions:
Types Of Diagnostic Tools
Researchers have been using such scales since the 1960s. One of the first, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, is still sometimes used today. However, there are many more scales available that are better suited for doctors to use with patients. There are even scales patients can use on their own to track or self-report depression symptoms.
While scales can offer key insights, they tend to be quite different from one another. The way they are administered, the questions they ask, and the way the answers are interpreted may not be the same from one scale to the next.
The inconsistencies of the tools, their use, and interpretation can make it challenging to determine the severity of someones depression, as different scales may provide different results. That said, when used along with other diagnostic measures and the judgment of an experienced clinician, the scales can be useful tools.
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How Can I Support My Mental Health
Having depression or anxiety isnt a sign of weakness and theres no need to feel embarrassed. Keep active in your community, consider joining a support group and do things that boost your mental wellbeing.
Self-help groups
Meeting other people who understand what youre going through can be helpful, especially if youre feeling isolated or lonely. You can find a local support group by asking your GP, or by contacting Mind, Anxiety UK, SANE or Rethink Mental Illness.
Keep a regular social routine
There are a range of services in the local community where you can meet new people and learn new skills. This will give you something to look forward to, and prevent you feeling isolated or alone. Your local Age UK can help you find an activity or group that will suit your interests.
Alternate Between Easy Medium And Hard Tasks
Another element of good mood hygiene is that you shouldnt do all easy tasks or all very hard tasks for long stretches. Where does this recommendation come from? Partly it comes from observations of how kids learn best, and people with developmental disabilities. For these groups, negative feelings often manifest as behavioral outbursts. We see that behavior and happiness improve when people are not being under- or over-challenged constantly.
You dont need to take my word for this, you can easily observe for yourself how you feel if you are constantly challenged to the edge of your capacities versus if you intersperse this with familiar activities you feel confident with, but that still feel meaningful and productive .
When youre scheduling your three activities per day that will provide a sense of accomplishment, aim for one hard, one easy, and one medium.
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Low Mood And Depression
Difficult events and experiences can leave us in low spirits or cause depression.
It could be relationship problems, bereavement, sleep problems, stress at work, bullying, chronic illness or pain.
Sometimes it’s possible to feel down without there being an obvious reason.
If you are experiencing low mood, depression or anxiety call Breathing Space on 0800 83 85 87.
Make Time For Yourself
Feeling down may be your bodys way of telling you its time for a break.
Think about what you did last week. Did you leave any time for yourself, to actually unwind? Or was it full of things you felt you had to do? If we spend all our time fulfilling duties, whether its work or studying, we will start to wear out.
In the next week, schedule time to do something you enjoy or find relaxing. Figure out what that means for you. Watch an episode of your favourite TV show, read a book or magazine, take a bath, walk in nature, or spend time with animals .
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Spend Time With Friends & Family
Get out and socialize. Many times, depression leaves us with the desire to stay isolated, cutting ourselves off from the rest of the world, but thats all the more reason to reconnect with friends and family. Those closest to you can provide loving support during your toughest times. Simply talking to them can help alleviate many of the symptoms you feel when depressed.
How To Notice If You Need Help
Its common to dismiss our own feelings or changes in behavior as nothing or just a rough patch. But how can you notice when your sadness or depressive feelings are becoming more than just temporary? Some things you should ask yourself and keep asking:
- Is your sadness getting worse?
- Is your sadness persistent, or doesnt seem to ever go away?
- Do you get sad at a specific time of year, month, or day?
- Do you experience sudden fluctuations in mood?
- Do you ever experience feelings of euphoria, or feeling unreasonably energetic or high, before or after feeling depressed?
- Did you experience a big life change before you started feeling sad? This could be the loss of a loved one, a change in job, school, or living situation, etc.
- Do you ever have thoughts of intentionally hurting yourself for any reason, such as to punish yourself or to feel something?
- Do you ever have thoughts about ending your life or wanting to die? Passive or active suicidal thoughts, like I wish I were dead, are cause for concern and should be talked about with someone you trust. If you feel actively suicidal its important to talk to your doctor, a therapist, or other authority immediately.
Remember, sadness is normal, but if at any point your depressive symptoms are getting in the way of how you live your life, or how you perform in work, school, or in your relationships, please see a professional for help.
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