How to Live With Depression
Call 911 if you have suicidal thoughts., Watch for symptoms of depression., Keep track of your feelings and activities., Monitor yourself if you have the blues.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Call 911 if you have suicidal thoughts.
If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, call 911 immediately or go to the nearest emergency room. -
Step 2: Watch for symptoms of depression.
Depression is a disorder where a person has a depressed mood and has lost interest in things that used to be enjoyable.
These feelings should be present most of the day and nearly every day for at least 2 weeks.
Other symptoms might include:
Loss of appetite or weight loss Sleeping too much or sleeping too little Feeling agitated Feeling lethargic Fatigue or loss of energy every day Feelings of worthlessness or inappropriate guilt Difficulty concentrating Suicidal thoughts , When you feel more depressed, you might start pulling away from activities that you normally do, such as going to class or work, visiting friends, getting exercise, and even taking a shower.
You might also start feeling worse or having more severe symptoms of depression.
Keep a log of your activities and feelings so that you can track when you might be feeling more depressed.
Keep track of how often you are crying, as unprovoked bouts of crying can signal more depressive moods.If you notice that you’re not able to keep track of your activities very well, this might be an indication that your depression is affecting you more.
Ask a family member to help you out.
While your own experience is of primary importance for understanding whether symptoms are major depressive disorder or more natural changes in mood, getting other people’s opinions can be helpful. , Sometimes, a bad case of the blues can seem like depression.
If you’ve experienced a major life event, such as the death of a close relative, you may experience some of the same symptoms of depression.
The types of symptoms typically exhibited when in mourning versus in a depressive episode can be different.
For example, feelings of worthlessness and thoughts of suicide are typically not present when in mourning.
However, feelings of suicide (and in some cases, other severe symptoms of depression) should be addressed immediately, no matter what their reason.
During mourning, you will still have positive memories of the deceased, and you may still gain pleasure from certain activities (for example, activities done in memory of the deceased).
During depression, in contrast, negative mood, negative thoughts, failure to gain pleasure from favorite activities, and other symptoms are present almost all the time.If your mood changes are distressing or they affect your ability to function, you may be experiencing more than the normal grieving process. -
Step 3: Keep track of your feelings and activities.
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Step 4: Monitor yourself if you have the blues.
Detailed Guide
If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, call 911 immediately or go to the nearest emergency room.
Depression is a disorder where a person has a depressed mood and has lost interest in things that used to be enjoyable.
These feelings should be present most of the day and nearly every day for at least 2 weeks.
Other symptoms might include:
Loss of appetite or weight loss Sleeping too much or sleeping too little Feeling agitated Feeling lethargic Fatigue or loss of energy every day Feelings of worthlessness or inappropriate guilt Difficulty concentrating Suicidal thoughts , When you feel more depressed, you might start pulling away from activities that you normally do, such as going to class or work, visiting friends, getting exercise, and even taking a shower.
You might also start feeling worse or having more severe symptoms of depression.
Keep a log of your activities and feelings so that you can track when you might be feeling more depressed.
Keep track of how often you are crying, as unprovoked bouts of crying can signal more depressive moods.If you notice that you’re not able to keep track of your activities very well, this might be an indication that your depression is affecting you more.
Ask a family member to help you out.
While your own experience is of primary importance for understanding whether symptoms are major depressive disorder or more natural changes in mood, getting other people’s opinions can be helpful. , Sometimes, a bad case of the blues can seem like depression.
If you’ve experienced a major life event, such as the death of a close relative, you may experience some of the same symptoms of depression.
The types of symptoms typically exhibited when in mourning versus in a depressive episode can be different.
For example, feelings of worthlessness and thoughts of suicide are typically not present when in mourning.
However, feelings of suicide (and in some cases, other severe symptoms of depression) should be addressed immediately, no matter what their reason.
During mourning, you will still have positive memories of the deceased, and you may still gain pleasure from certain activities (for example, activities done in memory of the deceased).
During depression, in contrast, negative mood, negative thoughts, failure to gain pleasure from favorite activities, and other symptoms are present almost all the time.If your mood changes are distressing or they affect your ability to function, you may be experiencing more than the normal grieving process.
About the Author
Henry Mitchell
Specializes in breaking down complex lifestyle topics into simple steps.
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