While every person has their own unique experience of issues related to their mental health, there are certain common threads when we step inside the minds of people facing depression. It's important to identify and understand what depressive episodes can look like for those struggling with major depressive disorder, how you can step into the mind of someone experiencing depression, and how to give or receive help.
Inside the mind of someone facing depression, a broad range of symptoms often appears as the person moves in and out of episodes. Some of the most common signs and symptoms of a depressive episode include:
The signs and symptoms listed above are among the most common experiences for someone facing a depressive episode, but the list doesn't end there. Someone dealing with depression may encounter variations of these symptoms that show up both physically and emotionally.
For example, someone facing depression may have lost interest in things that used to excite them, no longer engaging in hobbies or other activities. Someone might feel indifferent toward friends, family, their partner, or loved ones with whom they once shared a strong emotional connection. One physical expression of this symptom can include low sex drive, where someone feels indifferent toward sex or intimacy with their partner, or in general.
When someone is dealing with depression, one of the most common misconceptions is that the person is filled solely with dark thoughts and sadness. Someone with major depressive disorder may indeed feel this way, but the most common symptoms of depression relate to feelings of fatigue, indifference, sadness, and a loss of direction for the future.
Depression is a complex mental health issue that isn't limited to a single cause or reason. Many different factors influence a person's tendency or vulnerability toward major depressive disorder. The most common explanation associated with depression is a chemical imbalance in brain function — meaning a person lacks a particular chemical (neurotransmitter), or perhaps has too much of another, affecting mood, thoughts and experiences.
While this holds true to some extent, it's extremely difficult to pin down the exact cause of depressive disorders. Each person is different in what causes their depression, as well as in their predisposition to experiencing an episode. Much is still unknown about how the brain works and what happens when you step into the mind of someone facing depression. What we do know is that certain external and internal influences play a decisive role in the likelihood of someone experiencing depression. Some of the most common reasons someone may develop depression include genetic predisposition or a significant, distressing life event, such as the loss of a loved one.
Depending on severity, feelings of hopelessness and fear can drive isolating behaviours, such as cutting off communication with friends and family. The truth is that no one should have to go through a depressive episode alone.
If you or a loved one are experiencing a depressive episode, it's important to consult a mental health professional. With the help of a therapist, you or your loved one can begin working constructively on ways to manage symptoms, in order to bring depression under control and, with the help of certain intervention techniques, begin to recover.
Dimitra Zorzou