A bad day, not getting something we wanted so badly, or a sad circumstance we have to sit in. It sounds depressing, but what does actual depression look like?
Depression presents itself and can be triggered by different things for different people. It can be persistent and continuous, or it can happen in intense but brief episodes. Often it presents with bodily dysregulation such as decreased sleep and appetite, and low mood. The passing of a loved one, a divorce, or other such stressful events might trigger what feels like a depressive episode; other times there is no saying what might have brought about the episode, but simply that it is recurrent.
Many things are common between depression and simply having a bad week; everyone feels low, sad, and bad about themselves sometimes. The difference is the intensity and the persistence of these feelings and how much they affect one’s capacity to be able to function efficiently.
A trained therapist is going to be able to help break behavioural and cognitive patterns that cause these symptoms to persist. In severe cases, there might be ideas of suicide or you could benefit from medication or a consult from a psychiatrist, in which case you can be referred to the right people such that you can get the help you need. It is important to remember that the mental health professional is always there to help you, and nothing is too shameful or wrong to admit to or talk about.
But does that mean that you need to have thought about suicide to reach out to a therapist?
No! In fact, learning how to regulate oneself and work through distressing cognitive processes can be a great protective factor against the development of any mental disorders in the future. But going to therapy can simply be to increase one’s quality of life from what it is right now. Sessions can be on a need basis to help cope with recent stressors; therapy need not be a long-term commitment.
No matter the level of distress, a bad week or a depressive episode, if you think you want to reach out, you should!