Uticopa Blog

Do these symptoms sound familiar to you? Fatigue. Insomnia. Loss of appetite. Aches and pains. Most of us with these symptoms usually assume we're suffering from an ailment that's physical. Sometimes we're right. But, how often do we realise that what is really wrong is depression?

Even in good times, there are millions of new cases of depression every year. Yet many of those people - more than a third, according to a recent report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration - never receive treatment. This is despite the fact that nowadays there are more ways than ever to get help.

One reason is simple confusion over what the illness feels like. The common idea that depression means ‘feeling sad' has a lot of truth to it. Other symptoms could be emotional numbness, a sense of worthlessness, hopelessness, even thoughts of suicide. But for many people, the experience is a bit more blurry - a series of changes affecting them not just emotionally but also physically and mentally.

There are many reasons for that general, if indefinable, sense of feeling tired. It may be a gradual increase in irritability, a loss of focus, an inability to complete tasks, a desire to spend more time sleeping. Rather than seeing these changes as symptoms, many people conclude that ‘this is just the way I am', not recognising that what they have might in fact be a treatable condition, like depression. That's because the symptoms can develop slowly and be kind of insidious.  For someone caught in that trap who thinks ‘it's normal to feel like this', asking for help may seem unwarranted, embarrassing or even (especially for men) a sign of weakness.

Depression can sap your strength, drain energy, and even bring vulnerable people to the brink of suicide. Just the act of getting out of bed and into the shower each morning can be a major hurdle. Some people report that, as well as deep sadness, they are overwhelmed by the loss of self-confidence, and by feeling they are trapped at the bottom of a deep, dark well.

Stigma is another trap associated with depression. Those experiencing depression often feel pressure to ‘pull themselves together' and take charge of their lives. But, that sort of impossible pressure comes from a society where the ‘moral expectation' is that we should take care of ourselves. What complicates things is that sometimes sadness is not a sign of illness. Certain life events like the death of a loved one, caring for a sick family member, losing a job or going through a divorce, can make you feel awful. But that's normal when faced with life stresses. That kind of sadness can be entirely appropriate and does not necessarily signal mental illness.

Clinical depression is a matter of degree. There is a kind of continuum. If you can't function at work or at home, and all you want to do is plonk down in front of the TV, it may be time to talk to somebody about it. That somebody doesn't have to be a psychiatrist. It can be your family doctor, a trusted friend or a member of the clergy.

What is important is that your condition is recognised so that you can deal with it.

The good news is that there are many effective treatments.

Some self-help tips:

• De-stress by breathing in love and breathing out fear.
• Bash the annoyances out of life by hitting your pillow.
• A brilliant way to get to sleep and be happy:  when lying down, you are not allowed to think about anything that requires a solution. Simply, think of five things you are grateful for that day. If still awake, think of five things you were grateful for yesterday, and so on.

Above all, whether you choose proscribed drugs from a mental health specialist or go down the self-help route,  recognise the depression in your life and do something about it!