It is not uncommon to feel upset, disappointment, or discouragement, especially after experiencing a particularly difficult situation. We tend to feel these emotions for a short-term, and they don’t often significantly impede on our daily functioning. This is because they are usually tied to a specific event, such as an upsetting conversation or unexpected bad news.
Conversely, depression is more than a temporary feeling. It is a mental health condition that can tremendously affect one’s way of thinking, behaving and pecieving the world. Whether you or someone you know is navigating depression, it is important to understand what it is and what can help make a difference.
What Is Depression?
Depression is clinically known as Major Depressive Disorder and is characterized by ongoing feelings of sadness, hopelessness and lack of interest in daily life. These experiences are not necessarily a result of a specific event. Depression takes a huge emotional toll on overall functioning, including but not limited to eating habits, sleep health, relationship with self and others.
Depression is understood to be a combination of biological, psychological and environmental factors. It can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, identities or background, and it’s important to remember that it is not a sign of weakness.
Depression versus Sadness - What is the Difference?
Since both sadness and depression can feel so emotionally heavy, it is common to confuse the two. It’s important to know that they are not the same and can be experienced very differently.
Sadness is temporary and is triggered by a specific event which typically passes after a short period of time. It does not cause a significant impairment to one’s life. After the triggering situation passes, we are typically able to bounce back into our day, when we are ready.
Depression, on the other hand, is more severe, long-term and may not have a clear cause. Those who experience depression report feeling sad and hopeless, as if nothing is good or will ever work out. Feeling emotionally flat or numb is also common, which can be described as feeling disconnected from their own feelings or environment. These experiences are at the core of depression, which can persist anywhere between a few days to a few months or longer.
While feeling sad is a normal human experience, Depression is a mental health condition that often requires treatment and support to manage.
Signs and Symptoms of Depression
Not everyone will experience every symptom of depression, and sometimes the signs of depression are very subtle. Like other mental health conditions, it can be experienced differently by different people. Some symptoms of depression impact emotions, whereas others may impact behaviour.
Common symptoms include:
- Persistent/Chronic sadness of feelings of emptiness
- Lack of interest or pleasure in activities
- Chronic fatigue, or low energy
- Changes in weight and/or appetite
- Difficulty with concentrating or decision-making
- Sleeping too much or too little
- Feeling worthless and/or guilty
- Restlessness/Irritability
- Thoughts of death and/or suicide
Self-Directed (and low-energy) Coping Strategies
Depression can feel overwhelming and exhausting which can make accessing support in the form of therapy for depression difficult. However, there are also strategies to manage depression that you can engage in to help create pockets of relief.
Self-care does not need to be expensive or intense practices; it just needs to acts that support you in resting, recuperating and/or recharging, even in the smallest but not insignificant ways. Some days, this might mean you celebrate that you got out of bed and drank some water…and those moments still count!
Suggestions of self care can be:
Create a Routine and Gentle Structure
- Creating a simple routine for your morning (or evening) can limit decision fatigue and give your day a sense of direction – Even if it is just “wake up, brush teeth and drink water”.
Put Together a Feel-Good Playlist
- Music can be grounding, energizing or calming, depending on what you are looking for. Creating a playlist that meets you where you are in your emotions can be validating and supportive without feeling overbearing.
Engage in Low Energy Movements
- Any type of movement, even in small doses, can improve your mood. Taking a few minutes to stretch in bed, go for a brief walk or follow a slow yoga video can be a great way to release tension, and take care of our physical well-being.
Externalize Your Inner World
- Feeling depressed may lead to isolation. You may not have the energy or desire to keep in touch with others or feel comfortable enough to share how you are feeling. In these moments, journalling, recording voice notes or even texting yourself during your day can help lighten the mental load you carry and validate what you are going through.
Engage Your Senses
- Your sensory system can be your best friend in moments of distress. Holding a warm mug, breathing in fresh air, smelling your favourite candle or waking yourself up with cold water can reconnect you to the present moment.
Access Simple Foods
- Depression can reduce your appetite. You might know you should eat something but deciding what to eat can be difficult. If you aim for convenience, like smoothies, soups or prepackaged options, it can make eating more manageable.
How to support someone who has depression
It can feel challenging to watch someone you care about struggle with depression. The good news? Your presence, patience, and understanding matter more than you might realize. Here are some tips to remember if someone you know is experiencing depression:
Validate – Don’t Minimize
- Its simple to tell someone to “just think positive”, but that is easier said than done.
- Instead, try “I am here for you in whatever way you need me to be, even if I don’t fully understand what you’re feeling right now”
Check In Gently, and Often
- The support we want to provide them may be overbearing for the person we want to be there for. Consistent, low-pressure support can make someone feel less alone. Try texting them saying “I am thinking of you. No pressure to reply”.
Offer Tangible Help
- As those with depression often struggle with simple tasks, offering specific, and direct support like “Want me to drop off food?” or “I am free to help tidy up this weekend” can reduce the mental load it takes to reach out, and makes it easier to accept support.
Encourage Professional Support – Without Pushing
- Some people may be more open to professional support than others, and it is important to respect their preferences. If they are open to it, you can try suggesting a therapy for depression or a doctor visit, combined with your support or company: “Would you be open to talking to someone about this? I can help you look for options if that’s okay with you”.
Respect their Pace
- Recovering from or reducing depression symptoms is not linear, and it looks different for everyone. Celebrate their wins with them, even if it is just getting out of bed. Instead of timelines, offer them encouragement.
Final Words
Even though depression can feel isolating, no one has to go through it alone. There is no way to heal perfectly, but there is value in showing up for ourselves and the people we love again and again, even in the smallest ways.
Whether you are navigating your own symptoms of depression, or holding space for someone else, know that you do not need to have all the answers. We offer in person therapy for depression in Mississauga, and online therapy for depression too.
Feel free to also take a look at our free resources for depression. They are a great resource if you are interested in doing some self-reflection work at home!
