What is depression?
Depression.
You may have heard the word before in health class. But like all things in class, it is simply information: a word without a meaning behind it. Some readers may know someone who has considered or attempted suicide. You may have looked for answers: why is this happening? What do they mean, they were “depressed”?
Depression is a complicated mental disorder. Unlike physical disorders , mental disorders such as depression can build up over long periods of time, with the symptoms not immediately known. For depression, micro-aggressions can lead to it, with no one event as the cause. While there are different kinds of depression, in general common symptoms are feeling down more strongly or for longer periods of time than is usual. There is a misconception that depression is being sad after a hard event. This is not depression, this is a normal human feeling. In the words of a depressed teenager on TED, "Depression is not feeling sad when everything is going wrong, depression is feeling sad when everything is going right".
The National Institute of Mental Health describes the following as possible symptoms of depression:
Thoughts of suicide or suicide attempts are big warning signs, as well as self-harm.
The creator of the popular comic strip Hyperbole and a Half chronicled her experience with depression:
Depression.
You may have heard the word before in health class. But like all things in class, it is simply information: a word without a meaning behind it. Some readers may know someone who has considered or attempted suicide. You may have looked for answers: why is this happening? What do they mean, they were “depressed”?
Depression is a complicated mental disorder. Unlike physical disorders , mental disorders such as depression can build up over long periods of time, with the symptoms not immediately known. For depression, micro-aggressions can lead to it, with no one event as the cause. While there are different kinds of depression, in general common symptoms are feeling down more strongly or for longer periods of time than is usual. There is a misconception that depression is being sad after a hard event. This is not depression, this is a normal human feeling. In the words of a depressed teenager on TED, "Depression is not feeling sad when everything is going wrong, depression is feeling sad when everything is going right".
The National Institute of Mental Health describes the following as possible symptoms of depression:
- Difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions
- Fatigue, loss of energy
- Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, and/or helplessness
- Feelings of hopelessness and/or pessimism
- Insomnia, early-morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping
- Irritability, restlessness
- Loss of interest in pleasurable activities and hobbies
- Overeating or appetite loss
- Persistent aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that do not ease even with treatment
- Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" feelings
Thoughts of suicide or suicide attempts are big warning signs, as well as self-harm.
The creator of the popular comic strip Hyperbole and a Half chronicled her experience with depression: