This Is The Truth Of Mdd If You Dont Get It Then Either Try Harder Or Fuck Off
If youre reading all of this and think it sounds ridiculous, then youve never experienced MDD, and frankly, you have no fucking idea what youre talking about.
This is the real experience.
If you identify with this, if youre feeling this right now, if you think you have MDD, then you need to seek help if youre not already seeking it.
Their goal isnt to talk you down from suicide.
Their goal is to help you reach the resources you need to start this difficult process.
I know its hard. Believe me, I know. I struggled for months to keep going to the appointments, to keep trying higher and higher doses and more and more medications.
Each medication scared the shit out of me. I never knew if the meds were going to kill my creativity and motivation and discipline .
I never knew if the side effects were going to be more than I could handle.
But I found that it was better than the alternative to take that risk. Today, I can honestly say that none of the medications are harming me. Im not gaining weight. Im not losing my creativity. Im not feeling crazy.
How To Get Help
Tell your doctor if you have symptoms of depression. Theyâll want to rule out other health conditions so they can find you the right treatment. You might need to make some lifestyle changes, take medicine, or talk to a mental health specialist. Some people benefit from a mix of all three.
Some treatments for mild or serious depression include:
- Meditation
- Healthy diet change
Suicide is a serious symptom of depression. Get help right away if youâre thinking about hurting yourself. You can reach someone at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Theyâre available anytime, day or night.
Show Sources
Molecular Psychiatry: âSubcortical brain alterations in major depressive disorder: findings from the ENIGMA Major Depressive Disorder working group.â
Translational Psychiatry: âProfound and reproducible patterns of reduced regional gray matter characterize major depressive disorder.â
Neural Plasticity: âThe Role of Neural Plasticity in Depression: From Hippocampus to Prefrontal Cortex.â
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America : âDepression, antidepressants, and the shrinking hippocampus.â
Frontiers in Immunology: âThe Role of Inflammation in Depression and Fatigue.â
The Lancet Psychiatry: âMicroglia and major depression: not yet a clear picture,â âAssociation of translocator protein total distribution volume with duration of untreated major depressive disorder: a cross-sectional study.â
Depression And Suicide Risk
Depression is a major risk factor for suicide. Deep despair and hopelessness can make suicide feel like the only way to escape the pain. If you have a loved one with depression, take any suicidal talk or behavior seriously and watch for the warning signs:
- Talking about killing or harming ones self.
- Expressing strong feelings of hopelessness or being trapped.
- An unusual preoccupation with death or dying.
- Acting recklessly, as if they have a death wish .
- Getting affairs in order .
- Saying things like Everyone would be better off without me, or I want out.
- A sudden switch from being extremely down to acting calm and happy.
If you think a friend or family member is considering suicide, express your concern and seek help immediately. Talking openly about suicidal thoughts and feelings can save a life.
If you are feeling suicidal
When youre feeling suicidal, your problems dont seem temporarythey seem overwhelming and permanent. But with time, you will feel better, especially if you get help. There are many people who want to support you during this difficult time, so please reach out!
ReadSuicide Help, call 1-800-273-TALK in the U.S., or visit IASP or Suicide.org to find a helpline in your country.
Read Also: How To Live A Happy Life With Depression
Is It Depression Or Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, involves serious shifts in moods, energy, thinking, and behavior. Because it looks so similar to depression when in the low phase, it is often overlooked and misdiagnosed. This can be a serious problem as taking antidepressants for bipolar disorder can actually make the condition worse.
If youve ever gone through phases where you experienced excessive feelings of euphoria, a decreased need for sleep, racing thoughts, and impulsive behavior, consider getting evaluated for bipolar disorder.
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Can You Get Diagnosed With Depression
What Does the Doctor Look for to Make a Depression Diagnosis? A doctor can rule out other conditions that may cause depression with a physical examination, a personal interview, and lab tests. The doctor will also do a complete diagnostic evaluation, discussing any family history of depression or other mental illness.
The absence of rest and physical discomfort that frequently go along with maternity as well as having a newborn do not aid, either. Right heres a consider types of depression and also exactly how they affect people. If your signs and symptoms start to affect your everyday life, they may be the outcome of depression. Currently identified as depression with peripartum beginning does depression affect your voice, postpartum depression is even more than that just the child blues. Verywell Minds web content is for educational and academic objectives only. Boost your chance of various other health and wellness problems, like dementia. Stars With Depression Famous people who have actually struggled with consistent sadness.
Read Also: What Is Stage 2 Depression
Its Possible To Get Better
Look, Ive had MDD my whole life. Absolutely, from the time I was old enough to think to now, Ive had it.
Like I said earlier, for a long time, it went undiagnosed, and I struggled, especially as my drug and alcohol problem got worse and worse.
But then I finally let the doctors do what they needed to do.
And I got on medications that helped. That actually helped.
I feel sane again. The pain is gone.
And you know what? In the last bout of depression that I had , I never really felt suicidal.
I felt like I just didnt want to exist the way I was existing. I felt like I needed a break from life, no matter how many breaks I actually got.
Depression Survivors Describe What It Really Feels Like
Depression sufferers aren’t merely “sad.” Many describe the experience as agonizing isolation or numbness.
When psychiatrists and psychologists test people for depression, they ask, Do you feel sad, blue, unhappy, or down in the dumps? Do you feel tired, low on energy, unable to concentrate? Too many yeses gets you a diagnosis.
People with depression have a much richer vocabulary for describing their anguish, one that rarely matches the clinical observations.
When hell feels normalMany describe a heaviness and difficulty getting out of bed. When Jennisse Peatick, 36, of Hillsborough, N.J., gets down, “I am in the bottom of a well and it is a very gray cloudy day and I am looking up at this insurmountable cloudy day and I can’t climb out,” she says. “It is silent and very isolating.”
For patients like Terrie Williams, 53, of New York City, depression sneaks up so gradually it starts to feel normal. She had launched a high-profile public relations company that counted Eddie Murphy and Anita Baker among its clients. She organized exciting red carpet events and attended glamorous parties, but she’d fall into bed utterly exhausted. “Mornings were hell,” she says.
But after a while hell started to feel almost normal, she explains: “I would wake up with an overwhelming sense of dread and anxiety. I would lay there for hours, sometimes in a fetal position, crying. I would pull a sheet over my head.”
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The Next Step: Getting Help
If you notice any of these serious depression symptoms in yourself or someone you love, reach out and get help. In most people, even major depression is a very treatable disorder, with a wide range of medications and therapies that have been proven to work, according to the APA.
RELATED: Black Mental Health: Fighting Stigma and Building Trust
What Does Mdd Look Like In Teens
Lets get real: Teenagers act downright bananas most of the time. Even without clinical depression, they can channel the angst of a French existentialist and Evel Knievels self-destructive impulses in the span of an hour.
Some scientists think this is due to their stage of brain development. At this time, their anxiety and fear responses are high, and their ability to regulate emotions is low. The problem starts when they use maladaptive coping strategies .
These unhelpful habits can create or exacerbate depressive symptoms. Its important for teens to get treatment early. Heres a shocking stat: Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people age 15 to 24.
Along with the usual signs, a depressed teen is likely to:
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Complain of headaches and stomachaches
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Argue or fight with family and friends
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Start skipping meals or eating everything in the house
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Miss classes or after-school appointments
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Self-isolate in their room
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Not having any interest in social events
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Extended amount of time spent on the internet and chatrooms
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Let hygiene slip
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See their grades drop
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Start vaping, smoking, drinking, or doing drugs
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Act recklessly
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Talk or joke about suicide, research suicide methods, seek out weapons
Read Also: Will I Always Be Depressed
When To Seek Professional Help
If support from family and friends and positive lifestyle changes arent enough, it may be time to seek help from a mental health professional. There are many effective treatments for depression, including:
Therapy. Consulting a therapist can provide you tools to treat depression from a variety of angles and motivate you to take the action necessary. Therapy can also offer you the skills and insight to prevent the problem from coming back.
Atypical Depression: Whats in a Name? Article on the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of atypical depression.
Depression and Other Illnesses An overview of the mental and physical illnesses that often co-exist with depression, and how this impacts treatment.
Depression support & suicide prevention help
Depression support
In the U.S.: Find DBSA Chapters/Support Groups or call the NAMI Helpline for support and referrals at 1-800-950-6264
UK: Find Depression support groups in-person and online or call the Mind Infoline at 0300 123 3393
Australia: Find Support Groups and regional resources or call the SANE Help Centre at 1800 18 7263
India: Call the Vandrevala Foundation Helpline at 1860 2662 345 or 1800 2333 330
Suicide prevention help
In the U.S.: Call National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255
UK and Ireland: Call Samaritans UK at 116 123
Australia: Call Lifeline Australia at 13 11 14
Other countries: Visit IASP or International Suicide Hotlines to find a helpline near you
Know The Signs Of A Major Depressive Episode
It is very common for a person with depression to be unaware that they are entering a depressive episode. Recognizing the signs in oneself is challenging, but it helps to be able to see an episode coming. By being more aware of the return of depression, an individual can better deal with it: asking for help, reaching out to socialize, taking self-care measures, practicing stress-relief strategies, or making extra therapy appointments. Being aware of a coming depressive episode isnt easy, but there are practices that can help:
Read Also: Does Depression Ever Go Away
How Is Major Depressive Disorder Diagnosed
Getting an official depression diagnosis isnt always a straightforward process. You could notice a few of the signs above and start a conversation with a primary care doctor, who may agree that your symptoms are worth exploring further and encourage you to see a therapist. Or, you may already be in therapy and eventually receive a diagnosis once youve had a few sessions.
If you start with your primary care doctor, they may run some lab tests to rule out other conditions that can mimic depression symptoms, such as thyroid disorders and nutritional deficiencies, which can cause symptoms like fatigue, low mood, or irritability. Theyll also take a closer look at any medications youre taking to pinpoint possible side effects.
If youre seeing a licensed therapist, theyll do a psychiatric evaluation. This may sound daunting, but youll simply be asked about thoughts and feelings youve been having, as well as any behavior patterns or changes youve noticed. If you meet the DSM-5s criteria for clinical depression, your doctor or therapist will move forward with a depression treatment plan that is customized to your personal goals and needs.
Mild And Moderate Depression
These are the most common types. More than simply feeling blue, the symptoms of mild depression can interfere with your daily life, robbing you of joy and motivation. Those symptoms become amplified in moderate depression and can lead to a decline in confidence and self-esteem.
Recurrent, mild depression
Dysthymia is a type of chronic low-grade depression. More days than not, you feel mildly or moderately depressed, although you may have brief periods of normal mood.
- The symptoms of dysthymia are not as strong as the symptoms of major depression, but they last a long time .
- Some people also experience major depressive episodes on top of dysthymia, a condition known as double depression.
- If you suffer from dysthymia, you may feel like youve always been depressed. Or you may think that your continuous low mood is just the way you are.
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Things You Will Dislike About Why Do I Always Feel Angry And Depression
First, response prices and time to reach response did not vary between groups, recommending that the trajectory of improvement did not differ between those with and also those without atypical features. Second, departure scores did not vary when differences in extent were included as covariates in the outcome analysis. Time to remission by existence or lack of depression with irregular attributes. The characterization of atypical depression as including reversed vegetative signs has been very useful in the recognition of the unique nature of the disorder.
This tends to be seen by others, who will suggest them to decrease so they can be understood. Friends and also family members might see their strategies as unwise, impractical, or dangerous, but patients in the hold of mania will certainly neglect this feedback and commonly lash out as well as come to be cranky and why do i always feel angry and depression defensive. At work, if there are differences with in charge, there can be loud debates, and the individual with mania can impulsively give up or obtain discharged, which they later regret. Specific therapy will certainly be established by your teens healthcare carrier based on a full assessment.
Warning Signs Of Major Depression
Heres what to look out for in people you love .
1. Not caring about the things that used to excite you. If you havent bothered to tune in to The Mandalorian yet even though you were president of your local Boba Fett fan club and have watched every Star Wars movie 10 times, thats a warning sign. Used to be an avid vegan chef and yogi but now youre into lying on the couch eating potato chips? Thats another check mark.
2.Transforming into a Negative Nancy/ Ned/ Nat. If your first reaction to any question is to just say noand you can think of five reasons why everything will go wrong in every situationMDD is a possibility. Research shows that people with major depressive disorder generally have a more negative view of the future.
3.Avoiding your friends and family. Do you find yourself ducking social situations because you feel like you just cant muster the energy to hold up your end of a conversation or even smile and pretend youre having a good time? People with depression tend to socially isolate themselves, which studies say is twice as harmful to physical and mental health as obesity.
4.A change in your eating habits. Do you notice feeling hungrier or weighing more ? Some people with depression turn to food for comfort, while others lose their appetite because they feel numb or apathetic. Plus, studies have found that excess fat is linked to increased inflammation, which could play a part in causing depression in the first place.
Read Also: Anti Depression Medication That Helps With Weight Loss
If Youre Suffering From Mdd Dont Give Up
The last thing I want to say to you about MDD is that it really can get better I promise.
Just dont give up.
I know youre a survivor. I know you are because youre reading about this instead of wallowing in the self-pity that I know all too well.
Keep trying. Keep going to the doctors. Keep giving it a shot.
Youre life is worth it.
MDD doesnt have to control you forever.
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.
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