1. Some people use depression to refer to any time when they’re a bit sad, but it’s also a serious and specific medical condition. In fact, it’s a condition with many subtypes, so don’t dismiss or underestimate it.
2. The most recognizable of these diagnoses is major depressive disorder. Like the name suggests, it’s serious and long-lasting. It doesn’t just affect mood, but also energy levels, appetite, concentration, memory and sleep. It can cause physical aches and pains. Altogether, this often hits your ability to perform everyday tasks.
3. Treatment for depression tends to come in two forms: medication or therapy. A lot of doctors will say you need a combination of both for the best outcomes.
4. That’s because medication treats immediate symptoms. It may clear your head enough to face therapy or make lifestyle changes, but it doesn’t do anything about any underlying cause. Stop taking the meds, and you may end up right back where you started.
5. Don’t stop taking the meds, at least not without a doctor’s guidance. Even if you don’t like the drugs, stopping abruptly can be dangerous. Withdraw gradually.
6. Then there’s therapy, which can take a bit longer to work but should also provide you with tools for long-term mood management. Processes like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) help you identify unhealthy thought patterns and coping mechanisms and build new ones in their place.
7. Some people like to suggest improving your diet, getting more exercise, going out in the fresh air or doing yoga as ways to treat depression. None of these are cures, but they may improve your overall quality of life if you can manage them in a depressed state.
8. Major depressive disorder isn’t the only condition under the depression label. There is also dysthymia, seasonal affective disorder and postpartum depression, just for starters. Different causes may mean different management strategies, so you need an accurate diagnosis.
9. Depression can also be one side of bipolar disorder, opposite mania. Antidepressants could send you into a manic phase, which is why mood stabilizers are recommended as the primary medication.
10. The tricky thing about depression is that it separates you from your loved ones and the activities that normally bring you joy, making it harder to ask for help. But you should ask anyway because fighting depression is a lot easier when you’re not alone.
