Everyone goes through off days occasionally. It just cannot be helped as much as everyone wants to stay on top of the wheel instead of at the bottom. The dangerous thing about this is being commonplace, the experience blinds most to the possibility that they might be falling into depression.
Depression is a real danger everyone can face in his or her life. It is a silent and pervasive threat that can upend all the care put into a life led and relegate it to a gray existence where everything is heavy and each step is uphill. Knowing what to look for and more importantly, acknowledging that there might be a problem guarantees the best way of saving oneself early on.
Telltale Signs
What makes depression hard to detect is that it shares many similarities to the bad day experiences. When people are in that state of mind, they are unaware of how much time they spend in it and do not usually dwell on it when things turn for the better.
Depression happens when prolonged feelings of negativity and its consequences happen over a substantial period. A safe period to observe is a course of two weeks. Symptoms may include:
Types of Depression
Unfortunately, depression does not come in only one shape. Studies have classified depression in these categories:
Major depression – This is probably the most known form hence the designation of clinical depression. Experts characterize major depression by how it erodes a person’s ability to function properly, disrupting activities such as eating, sleeping, working, and deriving pleasure from activities.
Chronic depression – Less severe than major depression, chronic depression affects a person over a period of years (two or more). People suffering from chronic depression typically maintain function and the depression does not disable them.
Atypical depression – Cases that lack the usual symptoms of depression are classified under atypical depression. What differentiates atypical depression is its reactivity. Mood swings frequently occur according to experiences, even positive ones. Other forms of depression, people suffering from them will not react at all to these stimuli.
Bipolar or Manic depression – This is characterized by mood swinging from periods of depression to times of extreme elation or mania.
Seasonal depression – Sometimes called seasonal affective disorder or SAD. This depression occurs at the same time every year. Scientists attribute it to hormonal changes that are affected by the environmental factors that change with the seasons.
Postpartum depression – Motherhood brings much joy but 75% of new mothers experience feelings of sadness all the same. What is more serious is 1 in 10 will suffer from postpartum depression.
Psychotic depression – This happens when a severe case of depression is accompanied by co-existing form of psychosis, be it in the form of hallucinations, delusions or other separations from reality.
Regardless of what you actually feel, always be open to help. It is likely that it is just a bad day if you keep people that care about you near you and lean on their support when you are down. If not, help is but an arm’s length away so reach out.