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The basics of understanding depression

Depression is a term often used interchangeably with sadness, when in fact depression is far more severe and affects all aspects of life when a person is suffering. Depression is a mood disorder that affects how one feels, thinks and behaves, leading to emotional and sometimes physical problems. For symptoms to be classified as depression disorder, they need to be presently present for a considerable amount of time. When your mood begins to affect many aspects of life and you are unable to perform daily tasks like work, school or anything that requires effort, it is classified as depression. 


Depression symptoms include feelings of hopelessness and no outlook for the future, having no motivation to perform basic daily tasks or extreme difficulty in finding joy in activities that previously you would have. There can be physical symptoms like lack of energy, losing or gaining weight or challenges sleeping. 



When thinking of depression as a looming force or darkness that corrupts the mind, there can be times when one doesn't even realize they are suffering and brush it aside as a standard feeling. Depression symptoms can often come and go and there may be moments when one feels like themselves again but symptoms are still present. These are categorized as depression episodes. 


Suffering from depression can be very isolating. The experience brings on harsh emotions like waves of sadness or anger without much explanation for the feeling. Thinking becomes difficult when the mind is overwhelmed with such extreme emotions. When the feeling of hopelessness is present, depression becomes dangerous and sometimes leads to self-harm or suicidal thoughts. 


As the saying goes: “It has to get worse before it gets better”. While this may not always be the case, sometimes there is some truth when it comes to recovery. It is important to remember that recovery is not linear. When starting to recover from depression, it is important to remember that every healing journey is different. Similar to other mental illnesses, the best course of recovery is going to therapy and medication as another resource.  Understanding depression can be difficult because it presents differently in other individuals. Identifying the signs is critical to the road to recovery. It may sound obvious, but it is helpful to remember that you are not alone. Life can seem hopeless for a while and there can be times when there seems like no end, but try to remember that this feeling isn't permanent and your depression doesn't define you.

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