Depression Can Happen to Anyone

Depression is a highly complex topic for many and extremely straightforward for others. Does it last a couple of days, or does it last months and even years? The answer is that it can be both. Some people confuse depression with something that happens to them during the day, which leaves them feeling down. In reality, their feelings might be an emotional response to a past traumatic experience. 

Depression can feel and look different. It can look like smiling in public while crying in private or crying in public and feeling worthless in private. Depression can look like a change of hair color because you do not want to be you anymore. It can even be a constant feeling of being irritable. Depression can happen to anyone, someone who is rich or someone who is poor, someone with good grades or someone with bad grades. The important thing is to determine if you have depression. 

How would you know? Well, here are some of the most common signs:

• Changes in your eating or sleeping habits.

• Lost interest in your passions.

• Constant negative thoughts.

• Feelings of guilt or low self-worth.

• Extreme fatigue

• Social isolation

Depression is not a strange illness; it is very common if you have it. However, it is crucial to identify the symptoms and triggers and determine how to cope with them. 

Depression does not have a single cause; it usually happens after a traumatic event or the realization of a traumatic event. Even if the event occurred in the past, depression could be triggered by changes in your current life, or perhaps you feel lost and isolated. Any of these options could be the reason for depression. The first step is recognizing the signs and acknowledging that you are not alone and you are not broken. The good news is you can do something about it by talking to a professional.

It is important never to forget that you are the one in control, even when it seems like you and everything in your life are out of your control. Furthermore, it is important to tell someone you trust about your depression and seek the medical help you need. In the meantime, you can do simple things in the morning to improve your mood for the rest of the day, like taking a 10-minute walk, making a slight change in your diet, meditating, and practicing positive affirmations. Always keep in mind that you are enough and there is no one like you. Even if you do not believe it, start saying it. 

It is tough to understand what depression is unless you’re going through it. 

If you or someone you know is in immediate distress or is thinking about hurting themselves, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline toll-free at 899 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or the toll-free TTY number at 1-800-799-4TTY (4889). You also can text the Crisis 

Text Line 899 or visit the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline website at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org.