Depression Isn’t Going To Control Me Today – Do You Think You Have It?

I’m just not going to let depression control me today.  It’s warmer outside and it’s the week-end and I want to feel half way decent today!

“I pledge my commitment to the Blog for Mental Health 2014 Project. I will blog about mental health topics not only for myself, but for others. By displaying this badge, I show my pride, dedication, and acceptance for mental health. I use this to promote mental health education in the struggle to erase stigma.”

Did you know that one in four women and one in six men suffer from depression at some point in their life?  And only around 20% of them are diagnosed right.  That’s because depression can mask itself as a physical illness such as chronic pain, sleeplessness or fatigue.

Doctors aren’t sure what causes depression, but a prominent theory is altered brain structure and chemical function. Chemicals called neurotransmitters become unbalanced. What pushes these chemicals off course? One possibility is the stress of a traumatic event, such as losing a loved one or a job. Other triggers could include certain medications, alcohol or substance abuse, hormonal changes, or even the seasons.

Everyone feels depressed sometimes, like if there’s a death of a loved one, or something sad happens. That’s not clinical depression.   If you’ve felt depressed for more than two weeks, you should read these symptoms and possibly think about seeing a doctor.

You don’t have to have all of these symptoms to have depression.  Even for me, I don’t have all of these every day.  Of course, some days are better than others.  Today is actually, a better one.  I feel decent today and I think one reason for that is because I slept better last night.

One thing I’d like you all to know is that depression can control your thoughts.  When you start thinking you’re a failure or something is all your fault, that life’s not worth living or that people would be better off without you, remember that’s the Depression Trying To Control Your Thoughts!

 

 

So, know that these things are not true!  The people that love you want you to be around! Think about how much they mean to you (people you love), well, that’s how much you mean to them!

I used to think that some people would be better off without me in their lives. I wasn’t contemplating suicide or anything, I just thought they would be.  I don’t feel like that now. I know they love and need and want me around.  Imperfections and all.

When I feel overwhelmed, unconfident, indecisive, unhappy and just plain miserable, I know it’s the depression.  Over the years I’ve learned to control some of these feelings, some of the time.  For instance when I feel overwhelmed, which I do a lot, I take a deep breath and tell myself to slow down and do one little thing at a time.  This really helps me.  Like when I want to clean out a cupboard, I tell myself, just take one thing out at a time and put it away or throw it away.  This really does work. Try it sometime!

I feel irritable a lot of the time! I hate this one, because it effects my family so much!  Some days, as usual, are worse than others.  I’ll snap at someone in my family for no reason.  And then I apologize. I just hate this one.  I snap at them before I even realize what’s coming out of my mouth.  I do try to control it, however.  And I’ve explained to them how it’s the depression talking.

If you suspect someone is depressed there are some things to look out for.  If they have stopped going out and doing their usual enjoyable activities that could be a sign.  Maybe they’re withdrawing from friends and family, not able to get things done at work or school, unable to concentrate.  And some turn to alcohol and/or drugs.  These are pretty common symptoms for someone having depression.  They could just have one of these going on, for it to be depression.

There’s also physical symptoms that could mean depression, but not always.  I would think if someone has these, they would also have some of the other symptoms.  The physical ones include, fatigue, feeling sick and “run down”, churning stomach, sleep problems, loss or change in appetite and significant weight loss or gain.

There are many reasons a person might become depressed.  Usually, it doesn’t result from just one single thing.  It’s probably a mix of long term or personal factors, which cause chemical imbalances in the brain.  These could include life events, family history, personality, serious medical illness and drug and alcohol use.

We can’t always figure out the cause of depression or change difficult problems.  The most important thing is to recognize the symptoms and get help.  It can go on for months or even years, the best thing to do is start with your doctor and see if he thinks you need a specialist, like a therapist.  I actually love going to therapy.  I feel so good when I leave there!  Just make sure you really like the person you’re talking to.

This website, Depression and Bipolar Support, has a little form to fill out to see if you’re depressed and at what level.  At CrisisSupport.org they have a 24 hour Hotline you can call.  It’s all confidential.

So if you think you have Depression, see your Dr.  Don’t delay, things could get worse. Or if you know someone that you think has it, maybe you could recommend they see theirs.  I’m not a doctor, nor an expert in this, but I’ve had it for years so I do know some things about it.

If you would ever like to talk or ask me something, feel free to email me if you don’t want to leave a comment here.  My email is Momndaughtersavings at hotmail dot com.  I’d love to hear from you!  Have a Great Day!