In our 'What is depression' section we have listed the officialdefinition of depression as given by the World Health Organisations'International Classification of Disease. However the official definitiondoes not accurately convey the full range of potential impact of depressionon our daily lives. So depressionet also gives a list of symptoms thatmay be more familiar to you. While the degree to which you experienceany or all of these may vary greatly, most people with moderate tosevere depression can relate to these.
* sadness, lethargy, helplessness, hopelessness, worthlessness,
* difficulties with decisions, memory, concentration,
* loss of interest, energy,
* changes to sleep patterns - difficulty sleeping or staying awake,
* changes in weight - either significant loss or gain in weight,
* relationship problems with partners, friends, family, colleagues,
* isolation, thoughts of death, suicide,
* anxiousness, unusual fear or feeling panic.
For many people depression sneaks up on us gradually. We are goingabout our daily lives and it is only in looking back that we start to realisethat our attitude to life has changed. Often it is our family, friends or workcolleagues that notice these changes before us. We no longer have thesame motivation levels either at work or in our personal lives. We aregenerally feeling low, continually down and disinterested in activitiesthat we used to enjoy and lack energy. Sleeping difficulties have startedcreeping in – either difficulty sleeping, erratic sleeping patterns or difficultystaying awake.
If depression is correctly diagnosed early then it can be treated before itworsens. However if allowed to go untreated, then these symptoms startto become 'normal' for us and have an increasing negative impact on ourability to function in our daily lives. A downward spiral starts to form thatmakes it even harder for us to reach out and get the help and supportwe need.
Reading a list of symptoms can be very different from actually experiencingthe affect of these in your daily life. We get many people asking if it is'normal' to feel or behave in a certain way when you have depression.
They are aware of the basic symptoms of depression, but have nothad an opportunity to discuss the effects of these symptoms on otherareas of their lives. For example many people find that while theyunderstand that depression can cause a lack of confidence, what theydon't realise is that it can cause increased sensitivity often borderingon paranoia. It often takes a while for it to become obvious that weare over reacting to people, comments and situations, and usuallywe discover this only as a result of the damage it is causing ourwork and personal relationships.
Paranoia, lack of confidence, hyper-sensitivity, guilt and remorse,self-doubt and self blame, helplessness, worthlessness, anxiousness,and many more of the depression's 'demon allies' can have a far greaterimpact on our lives than we are aware of in the beginning.. They contributeto a negative downward spiral that makes it harder for us to find the helpand support we need. The two areas where depression forms the worstdownward spirals are work and relationships
Work
The longer the depression lasts, the more we worry about the impact onour work and career. While the quality and quantity of our work can sufferas a result of the depression, often this is magnified by our concerns aboutour performance and other people's perception of us and our work.
Depression > impacts work >> worsens depression >>>
Relationships
It can be very difficult to live, work and socialise with someone whois experiencing depression. We no longer have the same energy andenthusiasm in our relationships. We often prefer to stay home ratherthan go out, be alone rather than share and talk. We push others away.We become very self focussed and sensitive, easily offended, and quickto snap. People close to us often don't understand depression and howit affects us, and we aren't able to communicate because we don't fullyunderstand it ourselves.
As our relationships start to break down, we blame ourselves. We feelworthless, believing that no-one would want to be with us because wedon't want to be with ourselves. We push people away and then feelworse because we are alone.
Depression > impacts relationships >> worsens depression >>>
What you can do…
There are some very real things that we can do to break thesenegative cycles while getting professional help and treatmentfor the illness.
1. Learn about depression and it's symptoms
Being aware of how depression impacts your life, and the lives of thosearound you, is an important step in being able to reduce the negativeaffects on your life. Just knowing that the changes in your reactionsand emotions are related to the depression can help you worry lessand feel better.
2. Become the observer rather than the victim of the symptoms of depression
Once you are aware of the affect of depression on your mood and reactions you can look at your illness, see that it is there, and be very careful when relying on those parts of you it affects. If you know it causes you to be overly sensitive, whenever you register offence orhurt, stop and check "Is it what has happened that I am reacting to?Or is the depression influencing my reactions and emotions?" If thereis a chance you may be over reacting, then wait 24 hours before youtake any action or make any decisions. Usually this will be enough to take the power out of the reaction.
3. Don't feel weak for having depression
There is no reason for you to feel weak or that you have somehowfailed because you have a depressive illness. This is not true.There are many thousands of people out there just like us whohave depression and understand what you are going through.Unfortunately very few people talk about it. The more you acceptthat you have depression without feeling guilty or ashamed, theeasier it will be for you to talk to others about it, and the morefreely they will be able to share their experience with you. Youwill be amazed at the number of people you know who have beenthere and will welcome the opportunity to talk with you about it.
4. Build a support network
Help your family and friends to understand and to support you andat the same time find others who have been where you are and knowwhat you are going through. Without having experienced depression first hand it is impossible to really know what it is like and to understandthe effects of depression on someone you love. Rather than being disappointed that people don't understand, help them. Provide themwith information about depression, it's symptoms and effects and anytreatment you are receiving. Talk to them about what it means for you.Help them to help you. It will also relieve some of the load on your familyand friends if you have people to talk with that know what you are goingthrough. A support group or depressionet or both can help with this!
These are just a few ideas. Reading and talking to others and your doctor or therapist can give you other tips and ideas that may help you.As always, if there is anything that the depressionet team can do to helpyou, let us know at
help@depressionet.com.au!
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