More Than “Sad”—Living with Depression and Seeking the Help You Deserve
More Than “Sad”—Living with Depression and Seeking the Help You Deserve
Living with depression can be extremely difficult without getting the help you need.
One major barrier between people with depression and getting the help they deserve is a misconception of what depression is. This misconception is often perpetuated by those that have felt “depressed” and “sad,” but don’t understand the difference between feeling down and clinical depression. This leads to a stigmatization of those suffering from depression, which can make the symptoms of the disease that much worse.
It's important to understand what depression is and isn’t. From there, you can seek the help you deserve.
What is Depression?
As per Mayo Clinic:
"Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. Also called major depressive disorder or clinical depression, it affects how you feel, think and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems. You may have trouble doing normal day-to-day activities, and sometimes you may feel as if life isn't worth living."
What Is the Difference Between Depression and Feeling Sad?
The key term is “disorder.” Clinical depression is more than feeling sad when something bad happens. It is an ongoing condition that needs to be properly addressed with the help of clinicians. This may include the help of psychiatrists, psychologists, and other mental health and addiction specialists.
Because everyone feels sad from time to time, they may believe they “had depression.” The problem is, once they feel better, they believe they “overcame depression.” This can, in turn, lead to the belief that depression is a state of being and not an illness.
Depression is more than “feeling sad.” If you are experiencing ongoing symptoms of depression, it’s important to seek professional help.
Depression and Substance Use
Many people that suffer from depression have a dual diagnosis that coincides with addiction. Patients may rely on substances to “treat” their depression. Over time, though, these substances don’t provide the relief they once felt. This leads to an increase in use and reliance on the substance. An increase will often lead to serious health conditions and even death.
Seek the Help You Deserve
If you find that you are in a consistent state of feeling sad or anxious, you feel down from time to time with seemingly no reason, you no longer feel joy when good things happen, or you no longer want to deal with your everyday life, you may be suffering from depression.
Reach out to Front Door Health to learn more about depression and substance use. We’ll send a professional to your home to provide a diagnosis. From there, we will provide in-home treatment for the conditions you are suffering from.
Remember: you should NEVER feel shame about suffering from clinical, ongoing depression. You deserve help and support. We are here to help.
info@frontdoorhealthcenter.com
