Just Blue or Depressed ?

"Be Strong” | “Get over it” | “Oh!”(with the saddest face expression) |

“How are YOU depressed? You never seem THAT sad.”

It is along these lines that many of us respond to our friends, family, neighbors, and associates when we hear that they have been depressed.

You may be sad or are depressed. There is NOThing heroic about toughing it out. It is unnecessary. Infact, it could be dangerous to health. Be kind to yourself. You are allowed to fumble. You are allowed to fall. You are allowed to crawl. Yes, the aim is to be up and running. But, who has ever run without first crawling. Reach out.

Whether you are the one reaching out, or you are the one being reached out to or you are just a silent observer maybe we could talk about what we are dealing with.

Everyone feels sadness. It is a natural human emotion. But sadness isn’t depression. Depression and sadness are linked but are not the same. Sadness is an emotion that everyone experiences, often after a stressful or upsetting life event. Sadness is “normal” but it’s our instinctive tendency to avoid sadness. From a young age we are “shush-ed!”, cheered up and handed an ice-cream – we are “fine!”. The psychiatric pioneer Skynner had argued that with sadness "screened off", people can become shallow and manic. We must feel sad when we “ought” to. We must allow ourselves to feel it. BUT, “being sad” is NOT having depression. It is often mistakenly confused with depression.

Even as the discussion continues to enter mainstream, there is still so much misinformation and confusion surrounding the subject that we are left only to wonder.

Depression is an overpowering and ongoing mental health disorder that can drastically impact daily living. Depression often involves sadness or a low mood, but it also has other, less well-known symptoms. E.g. many people don’t realize depression can involve:

• anger, irritability
• confusion, memory problems, difficulty focusing
• excessive fatigue, sleep issues
• physical symptoms - like stomach distress, frequent headaches, back /other muscle pain.

A friend may often seem to be in a bad mood, or chronically exhausted all the time. For people with depression, these feelings are a part of the depression, even if it doesn’t fit into the stereotypical versions of depression.

And not all depressions are same. There is something known as situational versus clinical depression. They are similar but not the same. Recognizing the differences between these types of depression is the first step toward getting help.

Situational depression is a natural response to a traumatic event. It stems from the struggle to come to terms with dramatic life changes. Triggers could be the likes of divorce, loss of a job, the death of a close friend, a serious accident, other major life changes, such as retirement. The condition usually resolves as time passes after the stressful event or as the situation improves and/or when the person recovers from the life event. In most cases, situational depression is only short-term. Mild cases of situational depression often resolve without active treatment. However, treatment/therapy or counseling is always recommended.

Clinical depression is more severe. It is also known as major depression or major depressive disorder. It is severe enough to interfere with daily function. Doctors say that if one experiences five or more of the listed* symptoms over a 2 week period that impacts their ability to function day to day then it is most likely clinical depression. (* Symptoms listed as an appendix). Clinical depression can last for a long time. It may require more long-term management and an in-depth treatment plan. A doctor may recommend a combination of psychotherapy or psychological counseling and medication to treat clinical depression.

Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide and contributes greatly to the global burden of disease. According to the WHO, 17.6 million people are diagnosed with depression each year at a cost in the range of about $50 billion a year. Depression affects about 300 million people worldwide. 

If you or a loved one is having a hard time coping with an event and are feeling that no one “gets it” or what’s “wrong, just reach out. How does it matter – Whether Just Blue or Red Blue, seek out – dial a number, meet a health professional or a mental health provider. Let them decide we have too many pressing worries anyways . 

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* Appendix - the List of Symptoms

Clinical Depression is diagnosed when you experience five or more of the following symptoms over a two-week period that impact your ability to function day to day:

·        Feelings of sadness, hopelessness, emptiness

·        Loss of interest or pleasure in activities you normally enjoy

·        Lack of energy and fatigue

·        Feelings of worthlessness

·        Sleep disturbances

·        Difficulty focusing

·        Anxiety, restlessness 

·        Unexplained physical pains such as headaches or backaches

·        Thoughts of suicide or suicide attempts

There need not be a trigger or obvious cause for these symptoms to develop. Depression is quite treatable so there is no need to "buck up" and suffer through an episode.