Depression, The Annoying Roommate
Depression can feel like an unwanted guest who moves in and won't leave.
For some, it feels like an awful heaviness over one's mind and body. For others it's a sense of despair that they can't shake. For others it's irritability, restlessness, and a sense of not being well. Often one can't sleep, or sleeps too much -- can't eat, eats too much, or has trouble remembering and thinking. Depression can rob you of the ability to feel pleasure in activities that once seemed enjoyable: reading, music, sports, even the joy of a sunny day. Sometimes,life seems darker with feelings of hopelessness, inability to imagine any future, and maybe contemplation of self-destruction. There are a variety of symptoms characteristic of this disease, so it can have a number of different faces.
Depression is not just a few days of feeling "down" or "blue." Depression persists for weeks, maybe months. Then, perhaps it can lift on its own, if you endured or survived it, only to come back months or years down the road.
Though state-of-the-art treatment is very effective (actually more effective than treatment for many medical disorders), remarkably most people never seek treatment. This illness can distort thinking, mistakenly leading people to think that nothing can improve and no treatment can help. Untreated depression can take a toll on your family, friendships, school, and work, and sadly can even lead to suicide or self-injury.
So, get help!
