How do I distinguish between a low mood, a depressive episode, or classic depression?
Each of us knows this feeling of feeling depressed, listless and without energy. This is quite normal and in most cases these feelings soon pass. Did you know that one in four women and one in eight men experience a depressive episode at least once in their lives? Here, the depressed mood dominates everyday life and can be much stronger and more pronounced than a low mood.
How do you recognize a depressive episode?
In a depressive episode, sufferers experience depressed mood for a period of at least two weeks. This can manifest itself in a persistent lack of drive, inner emptiness and sleep problems. Negative feelings are a constant companion, often sufferers have strong feelings of guilt and feel less worth. A depressive episode usually first occurs between the ages of 20 and 40, but can generally occur at any age from childhood onward. Triggers can be stress, low self-esteem, or stressful life events such as a breakup. However, if these depressive episodes recur at regular intervals, they are referred to as recurrent depression.
Here you should consult a therapist who will accompany and support you in this phase.
How do you recognize depression?
Common symptoms by which depression can be recognized are:
- Reduced concentration and attention
- Lack of self-esteem and self-confidence
- Feelings of guilt
- Blacksight and pessimism
- Thoughts or intentions to take one’s own life
- Sleep disturbances, usually in the form of difficulty sleeping through the night or early awakenings
- Lack of appetite and weight loss
- Loss of libido
If you recognize these symptoms in yourself, you should contact a trusted person and ask for support in the upcoming steps towards recovery. For moderate depression, a combination of medication and psychotherapy is often advised. Here you should visit your family doctor and have a frank conversation with him.
Bottom line: depression feels really nasty. But, they are basically well treatable and also curable.
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