What Does Depression Look Like?

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Depression is a mood disorder that millions of Americans suffer from each year. It is also the leading cause of disability in ages 15-44. Depression often presents as deep sadness, depleted energy, and suicidal thoughts. Sometimes it can be hard to identify depression, even in ourselves. Here are five lesser known symptoms that may indicate depression in you or a loved one.

 

● Sleep Disturbance. Changes or difficulty in sleeping patterns is a common symptom of depression. This could look like insomnia, difficulty falling and/or staying asleep. It can also look like oversleeping, or even both of these at different times.

● Apathy. Although depression can cause intense sadness, it can also cause feeling nothing at all. Many of those diagnosed with depression report feeling “blank” or numb. It may be hard to connect with displays of emotion, or hard to care about things you once found important or exciting. Loss of interest in hobbies and/or diminished sex drive are both strong indicators of this symptom.

● Difficulty in Concentrating. Some refer to this phenomenon as “depression brain”, and it feels like brain fog and struggles with memory recall. Depression may make it difficult to pay attention to forces outside of the body and brain, and can also impact short term memory.

● Anger. Increased irritability and displays of anger can also be symptoms of depression. This is especially more common in men, who may feel more comfortable displaying anger than sadness. This may look like frequent outbursts, even over seemingly small things.

● Change in Weight. Depression may cause an increase or decrease in weight, depending on the person. Some suffering from depression might find it difficult to eat, causing weight loss and further depleted energy levels. Some may find themselves eating more than usual, as a coping mechanism. Overeating and immobility from fatigue can cause weight gain.

This is not an exhaustive list of all symptoms of depression, but it can help determine a need for professional intervention. If you or a loved one is struggling with depression please call our office to set up an appointment.

Has COVID Negatively Impacting Your Relationship?

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Has COVID Negatively Impacting Your Relationship?

You’re not alone. While COVID, on its own, has no actual effect on your personal relationships, everything about our lives has been changed in a matter of months – which does have a huge effect on your relationships, as well as your mental health.

It Has Amplified Prior Stressors

The most common relationship stressors have been amplified by the secondary consequences of the COVID pandemic. Financial concerns, division of labor, medical concerns are amplified and increased by a reduction in resources normally accessed to assist us. Many couples are experiencing a sudden loss of privacy, increased isolation from previously utilized outlets, and loss of outside socialization and support systems

Also Increased and Shifted Household Duties

Working from home is hard. And even basic tasks like washing the dishes or going grocery shopping are becoming a struggle. According to Mental Health America, more people than ever before are wondering if they have anxiety or depression. This isn’t a coincidence; it’s a natural reaction to an ongoing traumatic event, such as a global pandemic.

If you are parenting school age children, you have been assigned an even greater task of playing role of teacher as well. If your children are in a hybrid school model there is the challenge of juggling schedules to ensure all family members are keeping up with their responsibilities

So What Can You Do?

View this time together as an opportunity to develop new, even perhaps healthier habits, activities and interests that you can do together such as: going for a walk, a run, a hike or a bike ride.

Spring is an exciting and beautiful time in the Valley. Get in the car and explore a country road; take a picnic lunch.

Stay connected with family and friends through technology; get together virtually with other couples, friends and family – plan a virtual dinner or a game night.

Create activities to look forward to even if they are small; tackle a household project that has been on your “to do” list

Don’t panic. Our lead counselor, Clare, recommends having an open and honest conversation with your partner where you each can identify strengths and weaknesses, and decide a plan of action that best suits your family. It’s so important to be mindful of yourself and your partner, and help support one another through these challenging times.

There’s no easy way to fix mental health or relationship problems during a pandemic, but if you want some additional help, we are here for you.

Want to make an appointment? Get in touch!