When people feel depressed, they often feel a sense of shame. Although the world in some ways is changing for the better, there is still a certain amount of stigma associated with mental health challenges.
A person suffering from depression may also be failing academically, not meeting work deadlines, or producing substandard work. Denial and the tendency to blame others when depressed can lead to falling out with both colleagues and supervisors.
When your depressive symptoms are affecting your academic performance or your career, this may be a sign that you need professional help and may need to see a psychiatrist for depression.
The two most common defense mechanisms when a person is depressed are denial and projection. Denial can include complete denial of symptoms or minimizing symptoms, while projection can include blaming others for making you feel depressed or focusing on the mood symptoms of those around you.
Likewise, depression can have a devastating effect on personal relationships. Depression can lead to irritability, anger, argumentativeness, an inability to compromise, and an inability to accept feedback. The very nature of depression is like being stuck in a hole in the ground and unable to climb out.
When depressed, a person often loses the capacity to think about the feelings of others and loses patience for the failings of others. Untreated depression is a common cause of divorce and family estrangement.
The very nature of the depression means that ego defenses are working in overdrive. It is when you are depressed that it is the hardest to admit that you are depressed.
You may be depressed if you are suffering from the following symptoms:
Physical symptoms: Fatigue, muscle ache, headache, back pain, joint pain, GI upset, abdominal pain, low sex drive, etc.
Cognitive symptoms: Inattention, memory loss, impaired problem solving, impaired neuroplasticity, impaired executive functioning, slow reaction time, etc.
Thought distortions: Negative thoughts about yourself or others, excessive guilt about the past, pessimistic thoughts about your future, low self-worth, low confidence in abilities, angry thoughts, suicidal thoughts, nihilistic thoughts, existential angst, etc.
Mood symptoms: Low mood, loss of enjoyment in activities, loss of ambition, low motivation, loss of appetite, sleep disturbance, loss of will to live, etc.
Psychosis: Delusions, hallucinations, paranoia, loss of touch with reality, etc.
Atypical symptoms: Anger, irritability, oversleeping, overeating, compulsive shopping, etc.
See a doctor: Consult a doctor to check if you have any underlying medical conditions. Physical health issues such as thyroid imbalances or vitamin deficiencies can cause or worsen depressive symptoms.
Screen for medical signs of depression: Conditions like anemia, chronic illness or hormonal imbalances may contribute to low mood and should be addressed as part of a comprehensive depression treatment plan.
See a therapist or psychiatrist: Speaking with a mental health professional, such as an online psychiatrist, will provide you with a safe space to process feelings, challenge negative thoughts and create a treatment plan.
Consider medication: You may need medication if depression is severe or persistent. A psychiatrist may recommend antidepressants to help regulate brain chemistry and improve mood stability.
Admitting you are depressed and seeking treatment for depression may be one of the hardest things that you ever do. Especially if you have been raised to see depression as a weakness.
Many people do not admit when they feel depressed because they see depression as a weakness.
They are not used to asking for help.
They do not believe other people will understand.
They do not believe depression is treatable.
In most cases, depression is treatable. Admitting that you are depressed and seeing a depression specialist is the most important first step to climbing out of the dark hole. It is possible to turn your life around, and the first step to change starts with you.
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