If you need support with depression, reach out to a counselor, don’t hesitate
Asking for help can be really, really hard. People who live with depression (major depressive disorder) may feel alone, making it harder to reach out. PsychCentral has an article on 10 Ways to Ask for Help When Depressed.
Depression may happen once in someone’s lifetime or it may occur in episodes. If you’re living with depression, it’s so important to learn effective ways of coping with your symptoms.
Common symptoms of depression include
- Feelings of sadness, tearfulness, emptiness or hopelessness
- Angry outbursts, irritability or frustration, even over small matters
- Loss of interest or pleasure in most or all normal activities, such as sex, hobbies or sports
- Sleep disturbances, including insomnia or sleeping too much
- Tiredness and lack of energy, so even small tasks take extra effort
- Reduced appetite and weight loss or increased cravings for food and weight gain
- Anxiety, agitation or restlessness
- Slowed thinking, speaking or body movements
- Feelings of worthlessness or guilt, fixating on past failures or self-blame
- Trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions and remembering things
- Frequent or recurrent thoughts of death, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts or suicide
- Unexplained physical problems, such as back pain or headaches
Learn more about depression on the Mayo Clinic’s website. They have information on depression in children, teens, and older adults.
It’s useful to understand the cause of depression, which you can also find on Mayo Clinic’s page or discuss with your mental health care provider.
It can be an inherited trait, due to biological differences, brain chemical changes, and hormones. Depression can happen to anyone at any age.
Depression can become very serious if your don’t reach out for help, causing complications in all areas of your life, like with family and at work.
Complications
- Excess weight, which leads to heart disease and diabetes
- Pain or physical illness
- Alcohol or drug misuse
- Anxiety, panic disorder or social phobia
- Family conflicts, relationship difficulties, and work or school problems
- Social isolation
- Suicidal feelings, suicide attempts or suicide
- Self-mutilation, such as cutting
- Premature death from medical conditions
Getting help at the first sign of depression is a way to prevent it from worsening. Take care of yourself, and reduce stress. Use your support system, friends and family whom you trust.
Where to find care
Open Path Psychotherapy Collective – Affordable Mental Health Services
Psychology Today Therapist Directory
About teletherapy
Most counselors are providing teletherapy now. You don’t have to leave your home, spend money on gas, and it is easy to get started.
Are You Feeling Anxious About Going to Counseling? Online Counseling Can Help
Myths You Need to Know About Online Mental Health Care
Learn about my teletherapy services here.
Suicide and suicide prevention
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
3 Signs if Someone You Love is Contemplating Suicide and What You Should Do
Mental Health Support and Lifelines
Subscribe for valuable mental health tips
Will you join me in my mission?
One of my biggest goals is to increase mental health awareness, the availability of free resources, and the access to services.
If you value my free mental health content it would mean a lot to me if you would like, share, or Buy Me a Coffee. This helps people find my free content and allows me to continue providing free content.
I greatly appreciate your support!