Have you ever felt like you were living with a dark rain cloud over your head? Living with little motivation? Not enjoying things that used to bring you great pleasure? At times, it makes sense to experience depression symptoms (e.g., loss of a loved one, job, relationship) and other times depression feels like it hits you out of the blue, for no apparent reason. Regardless of the reason, or lack of reason, for depression, it is hard to manage alone. When experiencing depression, asking for help can feel impossible. You might have thoughts similar to, ‘I am not worthy of help’ or ‘I don’t deserve help.’ Depressive thinking, paired with fatigue and low motivation, keeps many clients from taking the first step toward getting help, finding relief and eventual recovery.
According to Anxiety and Depression Association of America:
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- 322 million people worldwide live with depression.
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- In 2014, around 15.7 million adults age 18 or older, or 6.7% of the adult population, in the U.S. had experienced at least one major depressive episode in the last year.
- The most commonly diagnosed form of depression is Major Depressive Disorder.
- In 2015, around 16.1 million adults aged 18 years or older, or 6.7% of the adult population, in the U.S. had experienced at least one major depressive episode in the last year.
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Depression can be experienced in the body and mind very differently from person to person. However, here are a few common symptoms of depression: sad or “empty” mood, hopelessness, guilt, worthlessness, helplessness, loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities, fatigue, feeling “slowed down,” difficulty concentrating or making decisions, change in sleep patterns and appetite, irritability, and thoughts of death or suicide.
