Depression

What is sadness?

Sadness is a normal feeling that can be difficult to process. However, sadness is temporary and usually gets better over time. People can feel sad and still go throughout their day, manage day to day activities, have a hopeful outlook, and put their situation into perspective.

What is depression?

Depression is a change in mood for more than two weeks. Anyone can suffer from depression, and at various points of their life. For example, children, adults, and the elderly can all suffer from depression.  Depression can look different for everyone, and the severity of depression may vary from mild to severe depending on symptoms a person may be experiencing. For example, depression for one person could involve moods of feeling "blue" that are long lasting, but also have an impact on your daily activities. However, for some, depression could have such a severe impact on your mood that you find it difficult to get out of bed or to leave the house.

Depressions vs. Sadness

The video below can help you to distinguish between sadness and clinical depression:

Symptoms of depression

  • Feelings of sadness or emptiness
  • Disinterest in activities you previously enjoyed (e.g. isolating from others)
  • Feeling worthless, excessively guilty, or hopeless
  • Low self esteem
  • Lack of motivation
  • Disruptions in sleeping habits (e.g. insomnia, excessively sleeping)
  • Disruptions in eating habits or weight (e.g. decrease in appetite; significant weight gain)
  • Thoughts of suicide or death
  • Fatigue
  • Irritability
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Indecisiveness
  • Frequently crying
  • Physical ailments nonresponsive to treatment (e.g. chronic pain, digestive problems)

What causes depression?

Depression can be caused by numerous factors that can include physiological, genetic, psychological, and environmental factors.

Depression facts

  • Affects over 15 million American every year
  • Leading cause of suicide
  • Certain events can trigger depressive episodes (ex. Loss, stress, etc)
  • Depression is linked to other health problems
  • Depression isn’t always obvious
  • Extremely Treatable

When do I ask for help for myself or for a friend?

  • When you or a friend are beginning to feel like a danger to yourself or others
  • When you or a friend are experience feelings of being stuck, loneliness, sadness, inadequacy, or self-loathing.
  • When others are noticing a change in your behavior that is causing concern for your wellbeing
  • When how you were living your life before was not working and you’re not sure what to do next

How can I treat depression?

There are many ways you can treat depression. For example, first and foremost you can visit the Counseling and Wellness Center here at SF and meet with a counselor. Outside of meeting with a counselor, there are self-care materials/exercises and medication available (through your primary healthcare provider). Some self-care material/exercises include reading self-help books, talking to friends, exercising, watching your favorite movie, eating your favorite food, and more. Treatment for depression is very important, otherwise there is a good chance depression will worsen. It is encouraged you contact the Counseling and Wellness Center when you are ready. 

Additional Resources:

College Student Guide to Depression

References:

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-5. Washington, D.C: American Psychiatric Association.

Shallcross, L. (2012). Eyes Wide Open. Counseling Today, 55(5), pp.30-39.

Counseling Today. (2017). Treating depression and anxiety - Counseling Today. [online] Available at: https://ct.counseling.org/2015/07/treating-depression-and-anxiety/ [Accessed 21 June. 2017].