Inside the mind of someone dealing with depression

Coping with depression

While each person has their own unique experience with their mental health issues, when you get inside the minds of people who are dealing with depression, there are some commonalities. It is important to identify and understand what depressive episodes may look like for those struggling with major depressive disorder, how you can get inside the mind of someone who is experiencing depression, and how to give or receive help.

Symptoms of a Depressive Episode

In the mind of someone experiencing depression, a wide range of symptoms often appear as the person dips in and out of episodes. Some of the most common signs and symptoms of a depressive episode are:

• You feel sad or down
• Difficulty staying focused
• Feeling foggy or disoriented
• Feeling anxious
• Irregular sleep patterns
• Lack of interest
• Fatigue
• Irregular Eating Patterns
• Possible suicidal thoughts
• Feeling lost, hopeless, directionless

What is going on inside the person’s mind?

The signs and symptoms listed above are some of the most common experiences for someone experiencing a depressive episode, but the list doesn’t stop there. Someone experiencing depression may experience variations of these symptoms that manifest physically and emotionally.

For example, someone experiencing depression may have lost interest in things that used to excite them and may no longer engage in hobbies or other activities. One could feel indifference to friends, family, partner or loved ones with whom they had a strong emotional connection. A physical manifestation of this symptom may include a low sex drive, where one feels disinterested in sex or intimacy with his/her partner or in general.

When someone is dealing with depression, one of the most common misconceptions is that the person is only filled with dark thoughts and sadness. The person experiencing major depressive disorder may feel this way, but the most common symptoms of depression are related to feeling tired, apathetic, sad, and losing direction about the future.

What causes depression?

Depression is a complex mental health issue that is not limited to one cause or reason. Many different factors influence one’s tendency or susceptibility to major depressive disorder. The most common reason associated with depression is that there is a chemical imbalance in brain functions. That is, a person lacks a certain chemical (neurotransmitter) or perhaps has too much of another, affecting their mood, thoughts and experiences.

While this is true to some extent, it is extremely difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of depressive disorders. Each person is different in what triggers their depression, as well as their predispositions to experiencing an episode. Much is still unknown about how the brain works and what happens when you step into the mind of someone struggling with depression. What we do know is that certain external and internal influences play a catalytic role in one’s likelihood of experiencing depression. Some of the most common reasons someone may experience depression are genetic predisposition or a significant and unpleasant life event, such as the loss of a loved one.

What should I do if I think that me or someone I know is depressed?

Depending on the severity, feelings of hopelessness and fear can force isolating actions such as cutting off communication with friends and family. The truth is, no one should go through a depressive episode alone.

If you or a loved one is experiencing a depressive episode, it is important to consult a mental health professional. With the help of a therapist, you or your loved one can begin to work constructively on how to manage symptoms in order to get depression under control and then—with the help of some technical interventions—recover.