Dealing with Depression

While each person has their own unique experience with their mental health-related issues, when you go inside the mind of someone dealing with depression, some commonalities exist across the board. It is important to both identify and understand what depressive episodes can look like for those battling major depressive disorder, what it is like to go inside the mind of someone dealing with depression, and how to give or get help.

Symptoms of a Depressive Episode

Depression does not look any single way when you go inside the mind of someone dealing with depression often experience a wide range of symptoms as they dip in and out of episodes. Some of the most common signs and symptoms of a depressive episode are:

• Feeling Sad or Down
• Difficulty Staying Focused
• Feeling Foggy or Disoriented
• Feeling Anxious
• Irregular Sleep Patterns
• Lack of Interest
• Fatigue
• Irregular Eating Patterns
• Suicidal Thoughts
• Feeling Lost, Hopeless, Directionless

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Go Inside the Mind of Someone Dealing with Depression:

The signs and symptoms listed above are some of the most common experiences for someone facing a depressive episode, but the list does not stop there. Someone dealing with depression might encounter variations of these signs that manifest themselves physically and emotionally.

For example, someone dealing with depression, lacking interest in things that used to excite them could manifest itself as no longer engaging in hobbies or talents, but it could also present itself in emotional connections. One could feel disinterested in friends, family, or loved ones that you used to feel a strong emotional connection to. A physical manifestation of this symptom might involve a low sex drive, where one feels disinterested in sex/intimacy toward their partner or overall.

When someone is dealing with depression, one of the most common misconceptions is that the person is riddled with dark thoughts and sadness. While someone managing major depressive disorder can feel this way, the most common symptoms of depression relate to feeling tired, disinterested, overwhelmed, and directionless toward the future. 

What Causes Depression?

Depression is an increasingly complex mental health issue that is not limited to one cause or reason. Many different factors influence one’s tendency or susceptibility toward Major Depressive Disorder. The most common reason associated with depression is that there is a chemical imbalance when you go inside the mind of someone dealing with depression. Meaning, an individual lacks a certain chemical or maybe has too much of one, influencing their mood, thoughts, and experiences.

While this is true to a degree, it is extremely difficult to detail the exact cause of depressive disorders. Each individual is different in terms of what causes their depression as well as their predispositions toward experiencing an episode. So much is still unknown about how the brain functions and what happens when you go inside the mind of someone dealing with depression. What we do know is that certain external and internal influences catalyze one’s chance of experiencing depression. Some of the most common reasons someone might experience depression are genetic predisposition or navigating a major life event like the loss of a loved one.

What Should I Do If I Think I Have Depression or Someone I know Does?

The most important thing to remember if you think you or someone you know could have depression is that it can feel extremely isolating, or that you have to figure everything out by yourself. Depending on the severity, when you go inside the mind of someone dealing with depression, feelings of hopelessness and fear can enforce isolating actions like cutting off communication from friends and family. The truth is, no one should have to go through a depressive episode by themselves.

If you or a loved one could be experiencing a depressive episode, it is important to consult with a mental health professional. With the help of a therapist, you or your loved one can start to work constructively on how to manage symptoms go inside the mind of someone dealing with depression to get it under control.

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How to Go on a True Mental Detox

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Learning how to go on a true mental detox involves decluttering your mind to increase feelings of peace and rest. With the age of technology, social media, and on-the-go mindsets, achieving true peace-of-mind, where you feel rested and renewed, can feel extremely difficult at times. With so much filling the space in your mind or feeling like you cannot turn off your brain, you might feel increased feelings of anxiety or worry. Keep reading to learn how to go on a true mental detox.

Be Intentional

With so much to do in so little time, it is easy to forget your drive and purpose for why you are doing certain things. Learning how to go on a true mental detox should involve increased intention in every move you make. Setting your intention at the start of each day and before you enter into any activity or decision can help you think more clearly. It can remind you of what your goals are and help keep your thoughts organized as you move forward.

Start Getting Out and Active

Taking yourself out of your normal environment can be a great tool when learning how to go on a true mental detox. Getting outdoors in a quiet environment can help you feel connected to the world around you. Staying active and healthy can help you achieve higher energy levels to accomplish your goals with less stress and anxiety.

Minimize the Use of Technology

Technology and social media are two of the biggest culprits in the cluttering and disorganization of our minds and our attention when learning how to go on a true mental detox. The need to constantly perform, receive attention, or engage in an activity can make it much harder for us to achieve genuine rest. As you lay down or look for something to do on your day off, try to avoid social media or even taking pictures of whatever it is you are doing. By doing this, you can start to learn how to go on a true mental detox and feel truly present. 

Meditation/Prayer

A great way to center yourself is to spend time practicing meditation or prayer depending on your background. Focusing on healthy breath patterns and positive self-affirmations can be a great way to find your focus and teach you how to go on a true mental detox. The discipline of regular meditation or prayer can help you find ways to stay calm throughout your daily life.

Express Your Frustrations

Keeping things walled up inside your mind can quickly lead to increased levels of anxiety or other serious mental health issues. Finding ways to healthily vent about or express the things that frustrate you can help you release those things from your mind. While it is ok to vent to someone you trust, something as simple as “junk journaling” can be an extremely healthy way to release frustrations when learning how to go on a true mental detox.

Self-Reflect

Taking the time to self-reflect and determine what is important to you is valuable when learning how to go on a true mental detox. Take time during your week to evaluate what relationships, objects, activities, and environments hold emotional and mental weight in your life. Take your analysis and use it to determine what things you might need to release in order to achieve happiness or peace.

Consider Therapy

While many of these steps can be extremely useful in your search for mental clarity and peace, there is much more you can do. Partnering with a mental health provider and going to therapy is one of the best ways to learn how to go on a true mental detox. By working with a professional, you can learn new ways to address key areas in your life and work through cluttered areas in your mind.

How to Show Love When You’re Depressed

Learning how to show love when you’re depressed can save your relationships with loved ones. The first step is recognizing that depression looks different on every person, but a common question that comes up is how to show love when you’re depressed. Whether you have been diagnosed or think you might be dealing with depression and have yet to seek help, showing love to those in your life can look different during this season of existence. Learning how to show love when you’re depressed can also vary from person to person. If you or someone you love is trying to manage symptoms of depression, it may be time to consider getting the help of a therapist.

Remain Honest About What You Are Experiencing

A common tendency of someone managing depression is to put walls around certain emotions inside their mind. Unconsciously, depressive episodes can lead someone to unintentionally exclude someone they love from what they are experiencing. Isolating in nature, this mental health issue may cause someone to distance themselves from the people who care about them. Learning how to show love when you’re depressed should involve as much honesty as you feel capable of giving. Remaining honest about what you are experiencing can give the person you love insight and understanding on how to be there for you.

Educate Your Loved Ones

After opening up and being honest with the people you love, you should then educate them on how depression might impact you during this season. By working with a therapist, you can start to put words, descriptions, and reasoning to your depression. With this knowledge, you can learn how to show love when you’re depressed while educating your loved ones on what you’re going through.

Do Your Best to Accept Their Help

When learning how to show love when you’re depressed, try your best to accept help. It can sometimes be frustrating or isolating when your loved ones are offering help, but not in the way you need. If you are unable to describe or put words to what it is that you need from them, do your best to accept the help in the form they are offering it to you. The more people you love that are in your corner, the more help and support you will have as you navigate your depression.

Be Patient with Yourself

When learning how to show love when you’re depressed, you need to spend time loving yourself. While you might not know how to show love to yourself during this time, try and understand that you are doing the best with what you have. Through working with your therapist and accepting the support of your loved ones, you are working toward success and freedom. Being patient with yourself and the pace at which you heal is essential to learning how to show love when you’re depressed.

Get Professional Help

Getting the help of a qualified mental health professional is the key to learning how to show love when you’re depressed. Your therapist can teach you ways to manage and cope with your depression while also getting you connected to the resources you need to conquer it. Rather than trying to help yourself on your own, accept the help of your loved ones and your therapist.

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Maternal mental health was not always on the radar of things to address for many behavioral health providers in our nation. In 2020, the world view has shifted, and the mental health of mothers (and parents in general) is increasingly important to the behavioral health community. More and more providers are exploring mental health disorders in women who are pregnant, are new mothers, or are experienced mothers and how their mental health impacts that of their children. According to the World Health Organization, roughly 10% of pregnant women and 13% of women who have just given birth experience a mental disorder, primarily depression, leading to an inability to properly function and impacting the growth and development of their children. Below are some of the common types and causes of Maternal Mental Health Disorders and how managing one or more of those disorders can impact a child.

Common Types of Maternal Mental Health Disorders

1) Depression /Postpartum Depression

Depression is the most common maternal mental health issue experienced by mothers across the globe. While many mothers experience varying types of depression in their lives, the number one most experienced form is postpartum depression. Up to 80% of women will experience postpartum depression to some degree after childbirth. Symptoms of this maternal mental health disorder include weepiness, impatience, irritability, restlessness, fatigue, insomnia, sadness, intrusive thoughts, or the inability to stay focused. 

2) Anxiety Disorder

Another common paternal and maternal mental health issue experienced by parents are anxiety disorders. This is often experienced as intense/excessive worry and fear about everyday situations. Some mothers experience this due to fear of harm coming to their children or for other reasons outside of motherhood. Regardless of the reason, increased anxiety can impact a parent’s decision-making and the ability to assess certain situations as well as other processes when raising a child.

3) Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is categorized as a pattern of unwanted thoughts, fears, and obsessions that lead an individual to experience certain compulsions that interfere with daily life and are often exacerbated by increased stress levels. For a parent that is now responsible for a helpless child, the obsessive-compulsive disorder can be experienced as a result and desire to keep harm away from the child. It could lead to incessant cleanliness habits, repetitive phrasing or actions, mental compulsions, and more.

4) PTSD

Anther maternal mental health disorder that is common in the United States is Post-traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD. PTSD can be brought on from several experiences but is most commonly experienced by mothers who went through a traumatic child-birthing process. Otherwise known as birth-trauma, this form of PTSD is often a result of fear experienced during childbirth that harm is going to come to you or your child, or the realization of those fears (high-risk births).

 The Impact of Paternal and Maternal Mental Health on Children

During the formative years of a child’s life, the mental health of a mother or parent has a huge impact on the child’s behavioral and mental health. A parent who is managing some type of paternal or maternal mental health disorder can sometimes have a decreased ability to manage, respond, and react to their child in a way that promotes stability, growth, and development. Left unaddressed, paternal/maternal mental health disorders can become dangerous, impacting the child.

Untreated paternal or maternal mental health can have several significant impacts on the emotional and behavioral health of a child, such as:

• Decreased Social Functioning
• Lowered Academic Performance
• Childhood/Adolescent Mental Health Disorders
• Increase Risk of Substance Abuse

Seeking treatment for your paternal or maternal mental health disorder(s) is essential to decreasing the risk that your child experiences any of these consequences. If you believe you are experiencing depression, anxiety, or any other form of mental health disorder, you should consult with a behavioral health provider. To learn more about a provider near you, click here to begin your search.