Top 10 Ways To Know You Might Be Depressed

When we talk of “depression”……… do you know what that means?  Sometimes terms related to mental health are vague.  Sometimes people throw them around without really understanding them.  Part of my hope in writing this blog (or blogs in general for that matter!) is to help people better understand mental health and get people talking more about it.  

I wanted to write about depression, because this time of year is often really hard for people.  The holidays are over, the weather is cold, it’s dark, and there is nothing really to look forward to now until St Patrick’s Day, or maybe spring.  It’s a long stretch of relative yuckiness.  Throw COVID and quarantine in the mix and that adds up to extra difficulties!  Today, I want to address when this low mood crosses over the threshold into possible clinical depression.

Now, I say all these next things with the understanding that each person is unique and different, and your experiences are too.  If some of the below resonates with you, please consider contacting your primary care doctor to discuss how you feel further.  Or, please consider therapy.  

You might be depressed if....

1.    You have just enough energy to go to work, to put your time in there doing just enough to get by, but when you come home, you have no energy for anything else. 

2.    You might not like doing much of anything anymore.

3.    You don’t have energy to shower some days.  It seems like an unnecessary bother.

4.    You might feel hopeless about life, your career, or love life, or about everything.

5.    Nothing gives you joy anymore - not your kids, not your dog.

6.    You either sleep too much or can’t sleep even though you are tired.  You might just lay staring at the ceiling for hours.

7.    You either eat too much, or you don’t have an appetite at all and can’t remember if you ate at all today.

8.    You can’t remember the last time you laughed or looked forward to something.

9.    You might cry often, and you might not even know why you are crying.

10. You might have thoughts of hurting yourself or you might fantasize what it would be like if you died. (This is the most serious symptom, so if this sounds like you, please call your primary doctor or Crisis Intervention at 717-394-2631 now.  Crisis Intervention is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Think of it like a therapist on call, or the ER on the phone.  They can help you figure out the best next step to help keep you safe.)

If the above things sound like how you feel, or if your low mood lasts for a week or two, you might want to consider therapy to help you. The mental health therapists at our office offer counseling for a variety of issues including trauma using EMDR, depression, anxiety, grief, and couples counseling. We work with teens, adults, and couples. We also offer online counseling services which can be great for people with busy schedules or for people who live in parts of Pennsylvania with limited counseling options. You can check out our website to see the full list of counseling services that we offer. Or, Request An Appointment here.