Therapists Are Standing By To Treat Your Depression Anxiety Or Other Mental Health Needs
Then there are those times when Ive felt nothing and could care less about making decisions. Thats happened most often when Ive been on the antidepressants targeting serotonin, like Prozac . I think Im fine because I dont feel depressed, but then everything else, including close relationships, seemed far away and empty. I could drop them in a minute, and that might well seem to be the logical thing to do. The thinking brain can still function but cut loose from any tie to feeling. Decisions based on logic and indifference can be the most dangerous of all.
On the other end of the spectrum, where major depression waits, there is plenty of feeling, but its all desperation. My survival is at stake. I have to be alone and shut the door on everyone I know. I have to quit this job, or itll destroy my life. Seeing this therapist makes me sicker, and Ill go off the deep end if I dont quit. This relationship is a trap thats ruining my life. There are only relentless drives here, and everything I do or desperately feel I need to do simply has to happen. I have no power of choice. Its easy to argue that a decision has been made. But I cant see it that way, any more than I would say that someone under torture makes a choice to confess and stop the unbearable pain.
What Does It Take to Decide?
How does depression affect your ability to make decisions?
Why Are People With Depression Indecisive
One reason people with depression may be indecisive is that they lack motivation. Motivation is impaired in depression and without it, the rewards of making a decision are reduced. This may account for the slowness in decision-making as well.
Impaired decision-making in depression is thought to be a physical problem. One study has linked gray matter loss in the medial and ventral prefrontal cortex areas of the brain to reduced motivation and impaired decision-making ability. This gray matter loss is seen in people with depression.
Why Is It So Hard To Make A Decision
Making decisions will always be difficult because it takes time and energy to weigh your options. Things like second-guessing yourself and feeling indecisive are just a part of the process. In many ways, they’re a good thinga sign that you’re thinking about your choices instead of just going with the flow.
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Feelings Of Inferiority And Guilt
Depression can lead to feelings of inferiority and guilt, which leads to anxiety about being unable to cope with day to day life. People with depression worry frequently and may experience recurrent feelings of tension and subjective stress.
Additionally, people with depression may experience other symptoms consistent withanxiety, such as poor concentration and focus, restlessness or difficulty sitting still, ruminating or intrusive thoughts, and difficulties making decisions. An individual with depression may have frequent worries about being a burden to loved ones or may fear being negatively perceived by others for their depression. Frequently, someone with depression may feel unable to identify if they feel depressed or anxious, as the feelings are so closely aligned.
How Does Depression Affect Decision
Studies have found that people with depression often make decisions specifically to avoid anxiety. People with depression often feel hopeless and as a result, dont want to waste energy on plans they believe wont work. This leads to less information gathering, less idea generation, and less thinking through options.
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Write It Down Or Talk Through It Aloud
Writing through a decision helps get my thoughts organized and find clarity. I can write down my options, list out pros and cons, and keep all of those details in view and contained on the page. It stops me from getting lost in thought, sidetracked, or just going in circles over the same points over and over.
If youre not one for writing, though, I know some can get similar results by talking through the problem out loud. Like writing, talking aloud helps them focus on the decision and organize the details into a coherent narrative.
Is There A Difference Between Decision Fatigue And Indecisiveness
In short, yes. “While decision fatigue is mental energy depletion that sets in after making a series of decisions in a fixed time, indecisiveness can be a character trait that results from chronic inability to make decisions, usually stemming from low self-confidence,” explains Dr. Parmar. “Indecisiveness is usually evident right from the beginning, whereas decision fatigue usually sets in after a series of decisions are made without any issues.”
More specifically, someone who is habitually indecisive often fears making the wrong decision, Manly noted, adding that their ongoing avoidance of decision-making often leads to routine procrastination. “Although a person who is characteristically indecisive may also suffer from decision fatigue, fearful avoidance is generally at the root of most decision-making issues for the chronically indecisive person,” she says. “On the other hand, decision fatigue can affect anyone, even those who tend to be extremely decisive.”
The good news, according to Dr. Parmar, is that it’s possible to recover from both decision fatigue and indecisiveness. “However, decision fatigue can autocorrect itself within a span of a few hours to a few days, whereas indecisiveness can take longer and significantly more effort to recover ,” she adds.
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Is Decision Fatigue Associated With Any Particular Mental Health Conditions
Yes, but remember that , regardless of their mental wellness. Having said that, those who live with conditions like anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder can find it especially difficult to make decisions, Manly says. “A decision that might be easy for someone in good mental health may be excruciatingly difficult for someone who is struggling with getting out of bed or ‘just making it through the day,'” she adds.
Why does this happen? According to Dr. Parmar, conditions like depression and anxiety can cause significant mental strain and impair one’s ability to fully focus on something, which can contribute to decision-making fatigue over time. “A depressed person is often overwhelmed with negative thoughts, low self-esteem, and low motivation which makes decision fatigue set in faster than usual,” she explains. “An anxious person tends to worry about every decision they makeeven smaller decisions get exaggerated into bigger issues, which induces decision fatigue.”
Is Indecisiveness A Symptom Of Bipolar
Bipolar is a term that gets thrown around a lot these days, often in a demeaning way as shorthand for indecisive or inconsistent. But true bipolar disorder – which used to be called manic depression – is quite distinct. Individuals living with bipolar disorder often feel well and function just fine.
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Depression And Indecision: Trouble Making Decisions
Little is known about what causes depression and indecision but it is known that people have trouble making decisions when they are depressed. In fact, chronic indecisiveness is so common that it is considered diagnostically important and is mentioned in the latest version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders the book in which mental illnesses, like depression, are defined. People with depression both avoid decision-making and tend to be slower when making decisions.
How Does Depression Affect Your Decision Making
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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.
S For Overcoming Indecision
Does figuring out what to wear to a party put you into a tailspin? Do you become paralyzed when trying to decide whether or not to take that new job? Struggling with indecision is like being stuck in the mud. Its just no fun. Famous psychologist and philosopher William James said, There is no more miserable human being than one in whom nothing is habitual but indecision.
Dont worry, though. Making decisions might be difficult sometimes. But like any skill, you can get better at it with practice.
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Is Online Therapy Effective
Online depression therapy has been found to be as effective as in person therapy. One study found virtually no difference between the effectiveness of in-person cognitive behavioral therapy and its online equivalent when treating depressive and anxious symptoms.
Online version of CBT may be the most suitable answer for those who struggle to find the motivation to get up and out of the house. Online CBT is also adaptable to your schedule. Youre able to reach out for help on a routine basis or in a moment of crisis. With a licensed therapist through BetterHelp you can start taking steps forward as soon as youd like. Read below for some reviews of BetterHelp counselors from people experiencing depression.
Simple Solutions To Help You Make Decisions And Empower Your Life
There are seven words that, when combined and posed as a question, can stir up such massive indecisiveness that it has even started battles between people who have promised eternal love and commitment to each other. That is, until this question gets asked: “What do you want for dinner tonight?”
Hopefully some of you can get a chuckle from the question. If so, you can relate. Its a relatable example the sheds light on the feeling of helplessness that comes from the inability to make a decision. Some people have more challenges with than others, yet just about everyone can have a deer-in-the-headlights response to something at some point or another. This post illuminates some of the hidden, and not so hidden, causes of indecisiveness in order to help facilitate decision-making along with generating a little more self-compassion when you feel stuck .
In the case of dinner decisions, there are a number of reasons that cause people difficulty in articulating what they want to eat. First, the options are plentiful. So plentiful that it can flood people and leave them with heightened uncertainty. Too many options leads to indecision. The sky is the limit and the challenge has been taken away. Limit the options and make food hard to come by and then youre salivating gratefully over a warm cup of soup or a piece of sweet melon on a hot day.
Lets look at some common examples. Following are a list of questions that demand big decisions.
Happy decision-making and bon appétit!
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Pandemics Effect On Mental Health
So far we only know of precautionary and prevention measures to keep the virus at bay like physical distancing, quarantine, isolation, etc., and we are adapting to the sedentary lifestyle for now. Unfortunately, the newfound lifestyle along with the prevailing virus threat is increasing our mental health risks. The stressful situation has accelerated the risks of anxiety disorders and depression necessitating immediate attention and action.
In addition, at present when we have to maintain physical distancing and restrict our movements, some mental health problems might go unnoticed and undetected, especially the symptoms of depression.
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What Causes Psychotic Depression
The cause of psychotic depression is not fully understood. It’s known that there’s no single cause of depression and it has many different triggers.
For some, stressful life events such as bereavement, divorce, serious illness or financial worries can be the cause.
Genes probably play a part, as severe depression can run in families, although it’s not known why some people also develop psychosis.
Many people with psychotic depression will have experienced adversity in childhood, such as a traumatic event.
Treatment for psychotic depression involves:
- medicine a combination of antipsychotics and antidepressants can help relieve the symptoms of psychosis
- psychological therapies the 1-to-1 talking therapy cognitive behavioural therapy has proved effective in helping some people with psychosis
- social support support with social needs, such as education, employment or accommodation
The person may need to stay in hospital for a short period of time while they’re receiving treatment.
Electroconvulsive therapy may sometimes be recommended if the person has severe depression and other treatments, including antidepressants, have not worked.
Treatment is usually effective, but follow-up appointments so that the person can be closely monitored are usually required.
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Anger Irritability And Mood Swings
While the relationship between anger and depression is complex and not easily understood, research has supported a close relationship between depression and increased feelings of anger, as well as poor ability to regulate emotions, which leads to rapidly changing moods. As a result, the individual may experience subjective feelings of irritability and annoyance and may even describe themselves as grouchy or touchy. Loved ones may observe the outward signs of this irritability through increased conflict and argumentativeness. Depressed individuals are biased toward negative information and, as such, will constantly point out the negatives in any situation. Furthermore, they are more likely to ruminate on negative information and thoughts, further exacerbating irritability and anger. A person with depression may also experience rapid and unexpected changes in their mood throughout the day, or even rapid changes within the same hour.
They may go from happy to irritable to sad, often without any clear event to provoke the change.
Along with these rapidly changing moods, outbursts of emotions, especially angry outbursts, are not uncommon.
What Is Indecision
Indecision can be thought of as a form of procrastination, except the delay is happening in the decision-making stage rather than the action-taking stage.
People with ADHD become indecisive for a lot of reasons, but regardless of the source, it most often takes the following forms:
- Avoiding making a decision until its too late
- Difficulty starting a task because you cant figure out which one to do or where to start
- Making impulsive choices
- Anxiety or fear about making the wrong decision
- Overthinking or overwhelming yourself with more information than necessary to make a choice
- Relying on others to make choices for you
- Second-guessing or failure to commit to a decision
Its natural to feel a little indecisive sometimes, especially when the choice youre confronting is a big one that will majorly impact your life. Still, chronic indecision can ultimately lead to many regrets, missed opportunities, and stress.
It can make taking tests difficult, for example, since a long series of multiple-choice questions require you to sustain focus, despite a lack of stimulation, and switch quickly between different sets of information to process in order to make a choice.
At work or for students outside the classroom, indecision can make it difficult to finish assignments. Whenever I have multiple tasks of equal importance, for example, I often feel paralyzed with indecision about which one to do first.
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How To Get Support
If you think you’re experiencing anhedonia, Touroni highly recommends consulting a therapist or psychiatrist to get a diagnosis since this symptom often suggests an underlying mental health condition.
Anhedonia doesn’t typically go away on its own. That’s why a diagnosis is important it can help you and your doctor to identify the root cause and treat it.
Quick tip: You can find a therapist in your area by using the databases at GoodTherapy, PsychologyToday, Zencare, or TherapyTribe. Consider filtering results by therapists who specialize in treating depression.
These popular therapy approaches may prove especially effective for treating anhedonia:
Note: Your doctor may also prescribe an antidepressant medication to help reduce the severity of your symptoms if your anhedonia stems from depression or bipolar disorder.
If therapy and medication don’t make much difference, you might also consider electroconvulsive therapy . In an ECT session, electrodes applied to your head will trigger mild seizures that can prompt beneficial changes in brain chemistry that improve anhedonia. While this approach may seem somewhat scary, ECT is safe and effective when used as a brief intervention for treatment-resistant depression symptoms.
Making Decisions And Moving Forward
One of the reasons that people who are depressed have trouble making decisions is that they are not as motivated as they used to be. The reward of making any decision does not seem important, so you basically just do not care one way or the other. Some experts claim that the prefrontal cortex and medial cortex in the brain are impaired when someone is clinically depressed, and this causes impaired decision-making ability. One study showed that the process of making decisions is affected by the severity of the depression a person is experiencing. Whatever the reason, there is help for you if you have this problem.
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