Am I just sad? Or is it depression?
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Sadness is a normal reaction we all have to difficult life circumstances and it typically passes with some time. Depression though, is a real illness that interferes with daily life and functioning. There are measurable changes that can occur in the brain when depression is present and untreated. The good news? These changes are reversible with treatment. There IS hope, and there IS help available.
You're in a funk. Everything feels like an overwhelming challenge, and you just don't have the energy for it. You want to sit on the couch, won't everyone just leave you alone? Your body aches. Your friends and family tell you they're worried. You don't really want this to be all your life is, but you can't seem to find your way to make any significant change. Now what? Therapy is a great first step. Talking with a professional to sort out what is going on in your life, and having an impartial listener to your challenges can be the start to a way out of the darkness. Sometimes it is difficult for us to see the weeds among the trees in our own lives and the perspective of a professional can help provide not only clarity but tools and techniques to help you move on. If you've never been to therapy before, it can be scary to think of exposing yourself to someone in that way. But you're in good hands and together we can do meaningful work to get you onto a newer, brighter path. Are you ready to make a change? |
"Through my own struggles with depression, I discovered that knowledge, therapy, medication and education can provide the strength to get through it in one piece." Susan Polis Schutz
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Seasonal Affective
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Postpartum
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Persistent and Major Depressive Disorder |
Bipolar
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Changes in the seasons can bring about moodiness and lethargy. Do you notice that you feel okay during the sunny days of spring and summer but once late fall or early winter some depression settles in, becoming more severe as the season progresses? Or perhaps the opposite seasons affect you in this way? Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) may be the culprit either on it's own or in conjunction with another mood disorder.
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Characterized by feelings of sadness, indifference, exhaustion and anxiety up to 18 months after the birth of a baby. Postpartum Depression affects one in every 10 women who have had a child. It is different from what some call the "baby blues". Baby blues may impact a woman in the first days and 2-3 weeks post-delivery. But postpartum depression is much more serious and lasts much longer. The symptoms listed above may be noticed as the body adjusts to fluctuations in hormones as well as a difficulty bonding with the new baby. Or, in more severe cases, psychosis may be present.
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Previously called Dysthymia, people with Persistent Depression may have less severe symptoms but experience a depressed mood that lasts for at least two years. Depression sometimes runs in families, but not always. The causes are not entirely clear but it has been found that both genetics and a stressful environment or life situation contribute to the cause of depression.
Major depression is a form of depression that lasts a minimum of 2 weeks and one's functioning is significantly different from other times. This diagnosis does include a depressed mood or a loss of interest. And the experience is more severe in symptoms. |
More than a mood swing, Bipolar Disorder is marked by extreme changes in mood, thought, energy, and behavior. It is also known as Manic Depression because a person's mood can alternate between mania and depression; although sometimes it's more of a swing between extreme anxiety and depression. This change in mood can last days, weeks, or even months. Mood swings can be severe ranging from extremes in energy to deep despair. The severity of the mood swings and the way they disrupt normal activities are what make bipolar mood episodes different from ordinary mood changes.
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Depression Articles
As a way to help support clients, Dr. Sikora has written a number of articles throughout the years and still publishes a blog currently. She is an avid researcher and shares her expertise in an insightful way to provide new data and/or a different perspective to help others move forward. Below are a some articles she's written related to depression.