I Think I Have Depression What Do I Do

A Solution To The Problem

This insightful and inspirational book provides a spiritual solution to the problem of suicide among the natives in Alaska, and anywhere for that matter! This very personal story is a must read to anyone thinking of taking their own life. Read it the life you save may be your own.

~Reverend William H. Nicholson

Sr. Pastor, Anchorage Moravian Church & President of United Alaska Moravian Ministry group Anchorage, Alaska

Does Depression Look The Same In Everyone

Depression can affect people differently, depending on their age.

Children with depression may be anxious, cranky, pretend to be sick, refuse to go to school, cling to a parent, or worry that a parent may die.

Older children and teens with depression may get into trouble at school, sulk, be easily frustrated feel restless, or have low self-esteem. They also may have other disorders, such as anxiety and eating disorders, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or substance use disorder. Older children and teens are more likely to experience excessive sleepiness and increased appetite . In adolescence, females begin to experience depression more often than males, likely due to the biological, life cycle, and hormonal factors unique to women.

Younger adults with depression are more likely to be irritable, complain of weight gain and hypersomnia, and have a negative view of life and the future. They often have other disorders, such as generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, panic disorder, and substance use disorders.

Middle-aged adults with depression may have more depressive episodes, decreased libido, middle-of-the-night insomnia, or early morning awakening. They also may more frequently report having gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea or constipation.

What Can You Do If You Have Hidden Depression

People with hidden depression should discuss their situation with their doctor or mental health specialist. While there isnt a specific depression test to learn if you have depression, your doctor may ask questions about your symptoms and ask about your health history. There are other things you can do to treat your symptoms.

Learn effective methods for reducing stress, such as yoga, meditation, or deep breathing exercises. Learn ways to boost your self-esteem. Try to engage in light social conversations with others. Try getting reacquainted with a hobby or activity you used to enjoy or consider trying something new. Engage in regular exercise. Look for ways to improve your diet. Ask a family member or friend for moral support or join a local support group. Take advantage of online therapy options to help you explore your thoughts and feelings.

Can You Help Someone You Suspect Has Hidden Depression?

If you think a family member or loved is showing signs, encourage them to talk about their feelings with someone. Offer to listen to them and give advice without judgment. Encourage them to learn about treatment options. Offer moral support when they attend appointments. Engage in productive activities like exercise and socializing.

Commonly Asked Questions Below:

Frequently Asked Questions

• Is it possible to diagnose yourself with depression?

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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 treatment and support 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.”

Are There Warning Signs Of Suicide With Depression

Depression carries a high risk of suicide. Suicidal thoughts or intentions are serious. Warning signs include:

• A sudden switch from sadness to extreme calmness, or appearing to be happy
• Always talking or thinking about death
• Clinical depression that gets worse
• Taking risks that could lead to death, such as driving through red lights
• Making comments about being hopeless, helpless, or worthless
• Putting affairs in order, like tying up loose ends or changing a will
• Saying things like “It would be better if I weren’t here” or “I want out”
• Talking about suicide
• Visiting or calling close friends and loved ones

If you or someone you know shows any of the above warning signs, call your local suicide hotline, contact a mental health professional right away, or go to the emergency room.

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Live By Faith And Not By Sight:

Living our life by faith is easier said than done. When the situation is not positive and the odds are totally against us how can we put our faith in the unseen God? Friend, start with small things. The Bible says, Taste and see that the Lord is Good. We need to start somewhere. As you learn to trust Him and taste His goodness, you will never go away to another source. You can start your journey right now. Right at the place where you are. Do not look at your situation, but look at the God who is bigger than the situation. God can surely hold your hands and take you through the difficult situation you face right now. Do not get discouraged by looking at the storm.

Causes And Risk Factors

While some illnesses have a specific medical cause, making treatment straightforward, depression is far more complicated. Certain medications, such as barbiturates, corticosteroids, benzodiazepines, opioid painkillers, and specific blood pressure medicine can trigger symptoms in some peopleas can hypothyroidism . But most commonly, depression is caused by a combination of biological, psychological, and social factors that can vary wildly from one person to another.

Despite what you may have seen in TV ads, read in newspaper articles, or maybe even heard from a doctor, depression is not just the result of a chemical imbalance in the brain, having too much or too little of any brain chemical that can be simply cured with medication. Biological factors can certainly play a role in depression, including inflammation, hormonal changes, immune system suppression, abnormal activity in certain parts of the brain, nutritional deficiencies, and shrinking brain cells. But psychological and social factorssuch as past trauma, substance abuse, loneliness, low self-esteem, and lifestyle choicescan also play an enormous part.

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What Risks And Complications Can Depression Cause

Having depression can cause other problems. It can affect your mental health as well as your physical health, and it may affect other areas of your life too. For example, depression may cause:

• disturbed sleep,
• difficulties with work and your hobbies,
• difficulties keeping contact with friends and families, or
• suicidal thoughts or thoughts of self-harming.

Some people might also drink more alcohol to try and relieve depression. However, as we said in the previous section above, this can actually make depression worse.

If you have any of these problems, speak to your GP.

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Symptoms And Causes Of Depression

Symptoms of depression can be very different from person to person. However, as a general rule, if you are depressed you feel hopeless, sad and lacking interest in things that used to make you feel happy.

Depression symptoms are bad enough to interfere with work, social life and family life, and can persist for weeks or months.

Doctors describe depression in one of three ways, depending on how serious it is:

• mild depression it has some impact on daily life
• moderate depression it has a significant impact on your daily life
• severe depression this makes it nearly impossible to get through your life day to day

A few people with severe depression may have symptoms of psychotic depression.

Below is a list of depression symptoms it’s unlikely that one person would have all of them.

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Rule Out Other Conditions

If you identify with the symptoms of depression, your next step should be a visit to your family doctor or general practitioner for a thorough exam and screening. Your provider will ask you about your health history and risk factors and may use written questionnaires to assess your symptoms.

Your family doctor or general practitioner will also want to rule out several medical conditions that can contribute to symptoms of depression, such as vitamin and mineral deficiencies, female hormonal changes, and thyroid conditions. In addition, several medications may have depressive symptoms as a side effect.

If your general practitioner doesn’t find any of these factors as a cause of your depression, they may prescribe an antidepressant or refer you to a mental health professional, such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, or counselor.

In 2017, an estimated 17.3 million adults in the United States experienced at least one episode of severe depression, or 7.1% of all adults. For adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 years old, the percentage is even higher, with an estimated 3.2 million adolescents in the U.S. experiencing at least one major depressive episode in a year.

Helping A Suicidal Friend Or Relative

If you see any of the above warning signs:

• get professional help for the person
• let them know they’re not alone and that you care about them
• offer your support in finding other solutions to their problems

If you feel there is an immediate danger, stay with the person or have someone else stay with them, and remove all available means of committing suicide, such as medication.

Over-the-counter drugs such as painkillers can be just as dangerous as prescription medication.

Also, remove sharp objects and poisonous household chemicals such as bleach.

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Common Signs And Symptoms Of Depression

Here are some common signs of depression you may experience.

How you might feel

• guilty, worthless and down on yourself
• isolated and unable to relate to other people
• finding no pleasure in life or things you usually enjoy
• a sense of unreality

• avoiding social events and activities you usually enjoy
• self-harming or suicidal behaviour
• difficulty speaking, thinking clearly or making decisions
• losing interest in sex
• difficulty remembering or concentrating on things
• using more tobacco, alcohol or other drugs than usual
• difficulty sleeping, or sleeping too much
• feeling tired all the time
• no appetite and losing weight, or eating too much and gaining weight
• physical aches and pains with no obvious physical cause
• moving very slowly, or being restless and agitated.

“It felt like I was really tired, all the time. I had no energy or emotion about anything.”

Why Does Depression Happen

Many people living with depression question why they feel this way and want to know what is behind their sadness. Researchers are trying to understand why depression occurs. Various potential causes and risk factors may contribute to the onset of symptoms. As we learn more about depression, depression symptoms may occur for reasons such as:

• Stress or trauma. Life changes, unexpected loss, feeling burned out, or overwhelmed are changes that may trigger depressive episodes.
• Hormone changes or imbalance. Women may experience postpartum depression after childbirth due to body changes. Menopause and menstruation are other situations that may include hormonal imbalance.
• Family genes. A person may have depression if there is a family history or be at risk of developing it if it runs in their immediate family.
• Chemical differences. Physical or biological imbalances in the brain may increase the chances of developing depression.
• Medical conditions or illness. Certain medications, physical or mental conditions could increase depression risk.

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What To Do When I Am Tired Of Life

Dear Friend, Are you going through a tough time in life? Are you finding yourself in the middle of a storm and being tossed by many cyclic thoughts right now? God knows what you are going through. He cares for your future. The Bible says, “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed, says the Lord, who has compassion on you.” Life on earth is not easy. Every one of us has challenges. But God’s love and His guidance will be with us all through the ups and downs of our life. He will never let us down. I would like to write a few things you may want to do while you are going through a tough time.

A Blog Series Guiding Folks Who Are Depressed

• Find a therapist to overcome depression

I often get letters from individuals who are depressed asking me what they should do. If you go on sites like WebMD, they will tell you that depression is a serious medical condition and that you should consult with your doctor. As such, I will assume you have already heard that piece of advice. Here, I attempt to offer folks something more.

What follows is a 15-part blog series that I have developed to serve as a guide for folks who are feeling depressed or who think they might be and are wondering what to do about it. It is written mostly from a self-help perspective. You do not need to be in therapy . It is probably best suited for folks in the mild-to-moderate range of clinical depression and who have enough mental energy to read and think things through.

It does not try to sell you anything, although it does recommend several books you might consider. It also does not promise you a quick and easy cure. It is a guide that is divided into two broad parts. The first half of the series attempts to help you first understand what depression is, and use that to connect with understanding your situation and who you are as a person. Once we go through the steps of understanding depression and how it fits for what is going on with you, then the second half moves on to explore principles of adaptive living.

These are the guides for doing things differently in the areas:

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What Is Samhsas 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. Callers can also order free publications and other information.

Also visit the online treatment locator.

Be Connected With People You Love:

Independent of the situation, we need to be connected with our friends and relatives. Do not shut them off because of the personal situation. It will be difficult to share, for example, the loss of a job with close friends. It might create identity issues. But let that not stop us from connecting with friends. We all are social animals. We need to connect with people, and our relationship should stay healthy in order to survive in life. Jesus can heal your marriage relationship.

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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.

Treatment For Anxiety And Depression

The good news is that if you believe you are suffering from anxiety or depression or a combination of both, these mental health conditions are incredibly treatable.

For anxiety, treatment is used to minimize avoidant behaviors and help you change your thoughts of feared consequences, Dr. Fox said. For depression, the goal is to help you feel positive emotion and increased energy to have a happier outlook and disposition.

There is no one plan that works best for all patients, but oftentimes treatment is a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy and medication, such as SSRIs, SNRIs, TCAs and other anti-anxiety medications depending on your symptoms. Long-term, combined treatments are typically recommended for those with co-occurring anxiety and depression.

Your doctor will look at whats necessary to get you at a functioning level with minimal or no symptoms, Dr. Fox said. A good therapist can help you unravel your symptoms and help you develop the skills to manage and overcome your anxiety and depression.

If you are suffering from anxiety or depression or another mental health disorder, you arent alone. Get the help you need through the most difficult times.

To find a licensed behavioral health specialist near you, visit the Banner Behavioral Health website at bannerhealth.com or call the Banner Appointment Line at 800-254-4357.

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