What Does Depression Feel Like?
Knowing if you’re really “depressed” isn’t always easy. The word “depression” has come to mean such a range of feelings from just having a lousy day, through to life-threatening clinical illness. We all feel fed up, miserable or sad at times – but these feelings don’t usually last longer than a week or two. These experiences are a common and probably healthy part of everyday life. But “clinical” depression describes feelings that are much more powerful and unpleasant than short episodes of unhappiness. Depression can last for months, rather than days or weeks. Suicidal thoughts are common and often frightening. It can be almost impossible to continue with everyday activities.
For months, Carol, a travel agent, has felt very sad. She feels extremely fatigued and lethargic. She finds it difficult to sleep at night, and her appetite has decreased. Though reading was once a passion of hers, lately she lacks the concentration to even focus on the morning paper. She no longer enjoys activities with her friends and family. She is plagued with feelings of hopelessness; often she struggles to make it out of bed in the morning. She finds herself asking what the point is to her life and wonders if life is even worth living. Carol suffers from depression. Depression is not simply “being sad” or “being in a bad mood.” Depression is a physiological problem caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. Also known as clinical depression or major depression, it can last months or years if left untreated. Some symptoms of clinical depression include: • Feelings of hopelessness, negativity, and pessimism • Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” mood • Feelings of guilt, worthless
” “It was not really alarming at first, since the change was subtle, but I did notice that my surroundings took on a different tone at certain times: the shadows of nightfall seemed more somber, my mornings were less buoyant, walks in the woods became less zestful, and there was a moment during my working hours in the late afternoon when a kind of panic and anxiety overtook me…” – William Styron, Darkness Visible Sometimes the Depression Self-Screening Test is just too clinical, and the symptoms don’t really “click” with you. Some of the criteria are general, and if you’re suffering from depression, specifics are easier to understand. I know that I might not have diagnosed myself with depression just on the basis of those symptoms. I had no change in appetite, and no sleep problems (waking up was what was difficult). Below are some un-clinical symptoms.
