Depression

Have you ever heard the expression “You’re your own worst enemy”? You’d think that we always have our own best interests at heart, but that’s not always true. When you’re fighting depression, one of the realities you’ll be confronted with is that your mind can be working against you, and you can be your own worst enemy. It’s important to get the right support and have a clear strategy to deal with depression effectively. When you approach depression as something of a challenge that needs to be managed rather than an enemy that you need to conquer and defeat all at once, you can build effective strategies that promote your resilience and emotional health in the long term. Facing the Key Challenges of Depression As you address depression, an important part of that is to understand what depression is. Depression is a mood disorder, a medical and psychological condition that affects the way you think, feel, and behave in everyday situations. When you struggle to regulate your own emotions and thoughts, you’ll often feel like you’re not yourself. Having depression isn’t a personal weakness or a character flaw. You need to acknowledge that. It’s also important that you educate yourself about how things like your brain chemistry, genetics, stressors, and your environment play a role in depression. By tracking your mood and identifying the triggers that are relevant to you, you can be better prepared to deal with what comes. The key challenges that often come with depression include the fact that you’ll typically experience a loss of energy and motivation. Many people who have gone through depression report feeling tired and unmotivated, to the point where even simple tasks like getting dressed, typing out a message, or meeting a friend for coffee feel overwhelming. Things that once were [...]

Depression can seem daunting and intense, even scary. Perhaps you’ve wondered whether you or a loved one struggles with depression. Understanding how depression can present and the effects it can have can prove to be empowering.Symptoms of DepressionMaybe you’ve been asked a series of questions by a doctor or provider to determine if depressive symptoms are present. Some common depressive symptoms include:Little interest or pleasure in doing thingsExcessive tiredness/exhaustionLack of appetite or overeatingFeelings of sadnessHopelessnessDifficulty sleeping or sleeping too muchNegative self-talk/self-esteemDifficulty concentratingAbnormal movement cadenceSuicidal tendencySome additional symptoms can be social isolation, lack of motivation, irritability, negative self-talk, negative thoughts about others, or the world. It is important to note that the presence of any of these symptoms does not automatically mean you are depressed.The Whole YouMind, body, spirit – multiple intricate parts make up the whole you. Our Creator made us “fearfully and wonderfully” (Psalm 139:14) in our mother’s womb. Anyone who has studied the human body and all its intricacies can conclude that the body works together to achieve homeostasis.Consider how a “problem” or “issue” in one part of you can affect others. It is common to hear how a defective or weak part of the body can negatively impact another part of the body entirely. The same can be true with mental illness. As we examine the symptoms of depression, let’s look at how other areas of our lives may be feeling the toll as well.The MindDepression can be a result of improper brain functionality, whether it be a “hardware” or “software” issue. Let’s think of “hardware” as the biological components of the brain and “software” as the thoughts. Both can be contributors to symptoms of depression.Our thoughts can have a direct impact on our mood/emotions, physiological responses, and behavior. Additionally, our thoughts can form neural pathways over [...]

You are sitting and waiting for the professional to speak. Then words come from the professional’s mouth, “ Based on the symptoms you are experiencing and for the time you have been experiencing them, I am going to diagnose you with Major Depression.” In that moment, you experience a multitude of possible thoughts and feelings.Thoughts of “This can’t be real”, or “Thank goodness I finally know what I have been experiencing,” or maybe even “I am a Christian. Christians can’t be depressed. I must be sinning.” Many feelings follow these thoughts; however, each one of these thoughts leads to one question. “I have been diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder. Now what do I do ?”An Overview of Major Depressive DisorderMajor Depressive Disorder, MDD, or Clinical Depression is more than just feeling sad. It is a prolonged group of symptoms lasting more than two weeks that greatly impacts daily life.Simple activities such as getting out of bed, texting a loved one, eating, or keeping up with daily hygiene begin to feel like insurmountable mountains of tasks to complete daily. Many describe MDD as feeling like carrying around a massive weight or a dark cloud that seems to follow them around.Those who have been diagnosed with MDD can experience any or all of the following symptoms.Loss of interest or pleasure The clinical name of the loss of interest or pleasure in life is called anhedonia. Hobbies, being social, going on trips, working toward goals, dreams, and ambition no longer seem appealing or even possible when a person is experiencing anhedonia.Sad and hopeless mood Emotional experiences for those diagnosed with MDD tend to fall on the two extremes of the spectrum. Emotions like sadness, hopelessness, and anger become intense. Or the opposite is also true, where one becomes disconnected and numb to their [...]

Depression is more than just feeling down. It can affect every area of your life, making it seem overwhelmingly dismal and hopeless. It drains your energy, makes it difficult to muster up the strength or desire to do anything, and creates a vicious cycle that keeps you feeling low. The worse you feel, the less you do, and the less you do, the worse you feel. Many people say that depression feels like a weight or heaviness that seems to hold them back from the things and people that they love. If you have struggled with depression before, you might be able to think of a time when depression impacted you, and there was a desire to know ways to get away from the heaviness. Many think that they might be able to just will away depression. However, that is simply not how it works. There is good news, though, because there are small and simple practices and coping strategies that can help you lessen the heaviness of depression and allow for the opportunity for you to breathe in life again. 15 Tips to Help You When You Feel Depressed  Reach out and stay connected Reach out and stay in touch with friends and loved ones even when you don’t feel like it. Make an effort to spend time with people who lift you up. Don’t let your mood cause you to withdraw from life. Reaching out could look as simple as sending a text expressing the desire for a simple, low-pressure meet-up and maybe even including a sentence about recent difficulties with wanting to isolate. Be mindful not to isolate yourself by convincing yourself that you are too exhausted or that you would just be a burden. Face-to-face time is important. Having a supportive, nonjudgmental, trusted friend or [...]

Clinical depression is more than just feeling unhappy or down in response to the upsetting circumstances or setbacks of everyday life. Also known as major depressive disorder, it is a mental health condition that affects the way you think, feel, act, and perceive the world, and is not something you can simply force yourself to snap out of. At Plano Christian Counseling, we offer faith-based therapy for signs of clinical depression in Plano, Texas. The most distinguishing signs of clinical depression are a persistent, pervasive low mood without clear cause and a loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed. Common Signs of Clinical Depression Signs of clinical depression can vary widely between people and may last for weeks or months. The following are some of the most common ones. Psychological signs constant sadness apathy feeling down low self-esteem feelings of guilt low self-worth tearfulness irritability anger low tolerance level frustration over small matters difficulty focusing or making decisions forgetfulness lack of motivation loss of interest in things you normally enjoy feeling helpless and hopeless anxiety feelings of impending doom recurring thoughts of death, suicide, or harming yourself Physical signs moving or speaking slower than normal loss of appetite binge eating significant weight loss or weight gain unexplained aches and pains lack of energy fatigue trouble sleeping or sleeping too much loss of sexual desire engaging in escapist behavior such as substance abuse or binge-watching TV Behavioral signs Behavioral signs of clinical depression may include isolating yourself, avoiding contact with friends, withdrawing from social activities, and/or neglecting hobbies, pastimes, and other interests such as sports that you used to pursue. To receive a diagnosis of clinical depression, you must have experienced five or more of the symptoms listed above for most of the day, every day, for at least [...]