Depression

Our bodies and our minds often don’t do what we would like them to. One of the more common mental health conditions that can significantly and negatively affect how a person feels and functions is depression. However, help can be found in Christian counseling. If you are looking for Christian counselors in Rockwall, Texas, consider Rockwall Christian Counseling to meet your needs.

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What Is Depression?

Sometimes you hear people say offhandedly, “I’m feeling a bit depressed today.” We know what they mean. They are saying that for whatever reason, they are feeling a bit low today. The word depression has entered our common vocabulary and when it is used it often doesn’t refer to the mental health condition of the same name.

According to the American Psychiatric Association, depression, which is also often called major depressive disorder, is a mood disorder that causes a person to feel persistently sad. Likewise, it also causes them to lose interest and enjoyment in the things that they used to enjoy.

There are several forms of depression, and the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), classifies the various depressive disorders as major depressive disorder, disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia), and depressive disorder due to another medical condition.

Though the causes and circumstances surrounding these various depressive disorders may vary, what they have in common is that the depressed person typically feels a sense of emptiness, sadness, irritability, changes in their sleep, as well changes in how they think such as the ability to concentrate. All of these can hamper how a person functions daily, making it difficult to work, do school, and engage in activities and relationships with others.

What Does Depression Feel Like?

The educator and author Parker Palmer once wrote that depression “is the ultimate state of disconnection, not only between people, but between one’s mind and one’s feelings.” For many people that experience depression, they feel disconnected with themselves and others, feeling numb to the things that once brought them joy.

In the DSM-5, there is a list of nine key symptoms of depression, of which five need to be present for a clinician to make a diagnosis of depression. Of those five symptoms, one of symptoms that must be included is a loss of interest or enjoyment in activities or relationships previously enjoyed, and a depressed mood. The nine symptoms of depression to look out for are:

Sleep disturbances such as sleeping too little or too much
Loss of interest or enjoyment in the things of life
Feelings and thoughts of guilt and worthlessness
Struggling to concentrate, remember things, or pay attention
Significant changes in your appetite and weight
Feeling fatigued or lethargic
Having slow body movements or speech, or psychomotor retardation
Having a depressed mood
Having suicidal thoughts

For a diagnosis of depression, a person must experience these symptoms for at least two weeks, and they should represent a change in your previous level of functioning.

Who Is Affected by Depression?

Depression affects people from all walks of life. In any given year, one in fifteen adults are experiencing depression (6.7%). Those statistics increase to one in six people (16.6%) experiencing depression across a lifespan. On average, depression first appears during the late teens to mid-20s, and women are more likely than men to experience it. Studies indicate that about a third of women will experience a major depressive episode in their lifetime.

If there is depression in your family, such as parents, siblings, or children with depression, there is a greater chance of being depressed. Depression affects the person suffering from it, as well as the people around them who love them and invest in their wellbeing.

How Is Depression Treated?

There are other medical conditions, such as a brain tumor, thyroid problems, or vitamin deficiency, that can mimic the symptoms of depression. It’s important to rule these other causes of symptoms out first. If these are ruled out and a diagnosis of depression is made, there are several ways depression is treated.

Through medication and psychotherapy, depression can be helped significantly. In situations where a person isn’t responding well to these treatments, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) may be useful.

Psychotherapy, or talk therapy, is one of the cornerstones of treatment for depression. A main technique used in talk therapy is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT helps a person identify negative views a person has of themselves or their future, and the ways they have distorted reality to maintain negative beliefs. CBT helps by changing these negative thought patterns and any unhealthy ways of dealing with problems or difficult situations.

Other therapies, such as interpersonal therapy (IPT), focus on current interpersonal difficulties like grief and conflict, and how they affect a person’s wellbeing. In combination with talk therapy, antidepressant medication can help reduce the symptoms of depression.

One can also use regular exercise as a way to elevate one’s mood. Additionally, taking self-care steps can help. Getting enough quality sleep on a regular sleep schedule, eating a balanced and healthy diet, and avoiding alcohol, which is a depressant, can reduce the symptoms of depression.

Help Is Available

When you feel over your head, there is no shame in getting help to deal with depression. The compassionate counselors at Rockwall Christian Counseling in Texas can walk with you to address your mental health needs, and to help you overcome depression. If you are interested in connecting with a Christian counselor in Rockwall, Texas, please reach out to our office today.