Have you been thinking…
- Have you been giving up hope that things are going to get better?
- Does it seem like every little thing is very difficult?
- Have you lost interest in things and quit looking forward to things you used to really enjoy doing?
There are times in all our lives that we may feel little to no desire to get out of bed or feel sad, this itself is normal, however, these feelings may escalate. We may start to ask ourselves if there is any meaning in our lives because we can’t find one. You may start to feel defeated on the battlefield we call life, you may start to say to yourself that everything is too difficult and you might realize you are becoming increasingly angry at small, unimportant things. You may feel tired, not wanting to do things with your family or friends, or do anything because you don’t enjoy what you used to.
When these feelings persist over a period of time, the inability to feel any sense of joy may develop. These feelings can interfere with everyday life and could be clinical depression or a mood disorder. Depression feels like everything is gray, the light in your life has fizzled out. Depression makes it difficult to laugh, to work and to love. Over time, these feelings may manifest into dark thoughts or desires of ending one’s life. If you have any of these feelings or thoughts you may be experiencing major depression or a mood disorder such as bipolar disorder. Depression is serious and dangerous and can lead to suicide. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. One thing that every suicide has in common is that they were preventable.
Living with depression can be a painful and isolating experience.
Depression can make it difficult to experience joy, complete day-to-day tasks and to engage with the people in your life, even those closest to you. Eating and sleeping patterns can be disrupted, and self-medicating behaviors – such as using drugs or alcohol, shopping excessively or turning to food to self-soothe – can develop. When you’re depressed, a deep sense of isolation may encompass you, and feelings of guilt, shame and self-criticism can also ensue. It’s common for people struggling with depression to blame themselves for feeling so miserable, which can lead to further isolation and self-judgment, creating a downward spiral into despair.
Do you want to feel better…now?
Therapy can help you discover hope, pleasure, and personal fulfillment.
Everyone has good days and bad days, times of excitement and happiness and times of tiredness and sadness. Biologically, the scale can get tipped in the wrong direction and sometimes it might feel stuck. Whether you’re experiencing depression as a youth or later in life, there is help. You are not alone; at Comforts of Home Counseling we have a team of professional clinicians to help you fight back against the darkness and bring that light back into your life and feel yourself again.