Shaded Bough Counseling

Tag: depression

  • What is Seasonal Affective Disorder?

    What is Seasonal Affective Disorder?

    Are you one of the many people who feel tired, glum, anxious or unfocused as the days get shorter? Does it feel like depression hits you at the same time every year? You might be dealing with Seasonal Affective Disorder.

    What Seasonal Affective Disorder Means

    Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, is an old name for what is officially called “Major Depressive Disorder with seasonal pattern.” It’s not really a disorder in its own right, just a subtype of depression. But SAD can also happen to some folks who actually have bipolar disorder, so I’m using the old name here.

    If you have SAD, then at certain times of year you’ll consistently get depressed. Depressive symptoms might include sadness, fatigue, low energy, hopelessness, social withdrawal, difficulty focusing, and irritability. You might also feel worthless, guilty, or not be able to enjoy things you used to. Some people may gain or lose a lot of weight, have difficulty sleeping, or even have thoughts of hurting themselves. The symptoms last for at least two weeks, so longer than a mood swing.

    The most common SAD pattern is for depressive symptoms to start in the fall or early winter, and end in the spring. But other patterns are possible. A few people get SAD symptoms in the summer, which end in the fall.

    Why Does Seasonal Affective Disorder Happen?

    Scientists are still trying to figure that out. Our best guess so far is that it’s related to sunlight exposure. Sun exposure produces endorphins in our bodies, while lack of sunlight increases your risk of Vitamin D deficiency, which in turn raises the risk of depression. Low sunlight may also influence your levels of serotonin, melatonin, and other chemicals in your brain. However, this doesn’t explain why some people get SAD in the summer.

    What You Can Do

    Many people with SAD say that light therapy helps their symptoms. You can do this yourself at home. Go outside every day, even if it’s cold and cloudy. Indoors, you can also use a lamp designed for bright light therapy to mimic sunlight, or simulate dawn arriving earlier with a gradual wake up light.

    Most coping skills for other forms of depression are also effective for SAD. Regular exercise, eating nutritious food, and getting eight hours of sleep each night can make your body better at resisting SAD. It’s also very helpful to find a balance between productivity and leisure time. You need to stay active enough to keep your routine going, but without exhausting yourself.

    If your SAD is persistent, or if you think you may be dealing with major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder, you may want more support. A therapist can develop more personalized coping tools and prevention strategies with you. A psychiatrist can prescribe antidepressant medication if needed. If you think one of these options may be right for you, feel free to reach out to me.

  • My Top 5 Skills to Overcome Depression

    My Top 5 Skills to Overcome Depression

    Depression is one of my clients’ most common struggles, and I’ve had to climb out of that pit myself. There are many tools you can use to manage it, but when you’re feeling this low it’s hard to know where to start. Here’s what helped me overcome depression, simplified. Perhaps it will help you, too!

    1. Get Plenty of Sleep

    Poor sleep can cause you to feel tired, sad, more easily stressed out, and unable to concentrate. You are more likely to feel anxious or overwhelmed, too. These issues mirror those of depression, and can make overcoming depression more difficult.

    If you lie awake trying to fall asleep, practice clearing your mind with meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, or with a nightly routine. If your main issue is getting yourself into bed, identify what activities get in the way, and set a limit on how late you’ll let yourself do them. For instance, I don’t start reading new books after 6pm because I know they’ll keep me up.

    Sleep issues can be vague and hard to untangle. Consider consulting a therapist or having a sleep study done if you struggle to solve it on your own.

    2. Get a Check-up

    Physical illnesses, low exercise, and poor nutrition can contribute to depression. Ask your doctor to run a few blood tests to rule out physical causes that might be making you feel down. Low levels of sunlight, Vitamin D, iron and B12 are common deficiencies for my clients with depression.

    Follow your doctor’s recommendation. This may include taking supplements or changing your diet, exercising more, or taking medication. Or your doctor might find no physical causes, in which case I’d suggest exercising and getting outside anyway. It almost always helps.

    3. Overcome Depression By Writing About Your Feelings

    When you’re depressed, a lot of your thoughts will feel stagnant, hopeless, or like they’re going in circles. It’s hard not to get caught up in your own head. Writing these thoughts down fixes them in place and makes it easier to look at them more objectively.

    If you aren’t used to writing, try a few of these prompts:

    • Think back to a time you felt upset. What was the event that caused it? What thoughts went through your mind? How did you feel?
    • Look at a list of emotion words. Which ones apply to you right now?
    • What do you wish other people knew about what you’re experiencing?
    • If your problems were gone when you woke up tomorrow, how would you spend your day?
    • What would you want a compassionate friend to say to you right now?

    Many of my clients find that when they write down their thoughts, they feel a greater sense of control over them, and it’s easier to be compassionate to themselves. The fears and frustrations that seemed overwhelming become manageable problems they can study. This takes time and regular practice, but helps greatly with overcoming depression.

    4. Overcome Depression By Reaching Out For Help

    It’s incredibly difficult to overcome depression on your own. You might have a voice in the back of your head saying, “I don’t want to burden others,” or “My problems aren’t that important.” That voice is wrong. If a person you loved was going through this, and feeling as bad as you do, would you want them to hide it from you? Probably not. Your friends and family will likely want you to tell them about your needs, too.

    If you’re worried about putting too much on other people’s shoulders, ask them whether they’re in a good mental space for it. If they tell you it’s fine, and they can handle it, take them at their word. Trust them to tell you if they need a break.

    You can also work with a therapist or other mental health professional. Therapists are trained not only to support your recovery, but to teach you skills for managing your thoughts and getting things done. We can also help you work on other mental health issues that might influence your depression, such as trauma, anxiety, loneliness or grief. If you’re thinking of ending your life, call or text the National Suicide Prevention Hotline, or find your local warmline if you just need someone to talk to.

    Lastly, if you suspect that your problems are no big deal, or don’t deserve attention because other people have it worse…it’s good to seek support for milder depression, because that’s the best way to prevent it from getting worse! I love it when people come to me with “small” issues because it makes treatment faster and easier. You don’t have to be at rock-bottom for help to be worthwhile.

    5. And Finally…Sometimes You Just Have to Hold On

    The good news is that nearly all of my depressed clients eventually recover. We have a wide variety of tools to try, more than I could ever list in a blog post, and eventually something almost always helps.

    The bad news is that it is not easy, and sometimes it takes a long time. Sometimes it’s an accomplishment just to get out of bed in the morning. I’m here to tell you to keep going, because even if you do everything “right,” and see a therapist, your brain will still need time to uncoil from “depressed mode” and start healing. You might have to practice exercising, writing, socializing when you don’t feel like it, and more, for several weeks or months before you notice a difference. But it can happen, even if you’ve lived with it for years.

    Depression is not permanent. All you have to do is outlast it. And I believe you can.

  • 4 Signs You Might Be Depressed

    4 Signs You Might Be Depressed

    Depression is one of the most common mental issues, and co-occurs with many other illnesses like anxiety, bipolar disorder and substance abuse. But despite its frequency, it can still be hard to tell if you’re dealing with “real” depression, or just having a bad day. So let’s explore some of the symptoms I most commonly see. If these sound real familiar, you might be depressed.

    1. You Feel Tired All the Time

    Think of your energy level as a battery that can charge up and run low. Most people start their day with 100% of their battery full, maybe a little less if they slept badly or feel stressed. Depression causes you to wake up with just 50%, 30% or even less of your battery, and you have to make that small amount last all day.

    This battery can apply to mental or physical energy. You might have a desk job, but depression can still leave you feeling exhausted after sorting through emails or writing a paper. Simple conversations might wear you down. Or you might find it difficult to cook, brush your teeth or do other physical tasks that seem to be easy for most people.

    If you’re sick, it can be hard to distinguish depression-tiredness from regular tiredness. Chronic illness can make ordinary tasks exhausting. But if the following points apply to you, too, you might be depressed.

    2. You Don’t Enjoy the Things You Used To

    Most people think of depression as “sadness but longer.” And for many depressed people, they do feel sad. But if they don’t feel constantly sad, they might think their depression doesn’t “count,” so you should also look at the absence of good days, too.

    Depression casts a dull cloud over things that should be relaxing, fun and uplifting for you. Friends whose company you normally enjoy, might feel overwhelming, loud, or boring when you’re depressed. Hobbies that should make you smile become pointless and dull. If you’re prone to anxiety, you’ll likely feel anxious more often, too.

    3. You Feel Guilty, Worthless or Hopeless

    Most of my clients with depression think badly of themselves. They may ask me if they’re terrible people, apologize when they’ve done nothing wrong, or call themselves “stupid.” Or they might feel like they don’t have the ability to get better. If it’s hard for you to think of good qualities about yourself or believe people like you, you might be depressed.

    Depression lies to you. It shows you all the negatives while hiding the positives. That includes only seeing the negatives about yourself. Even if you don’t have depression, this mental bias lowers your self-esteem and can make you vulnerable to being mistreated by other people.

    4. You Want to Get Away From It All

    With a low battery, low mood and little belief in yourself, you’ll probably start feeling overwhelmed. Depressed people feel stressed out more easily and often want to withdraw from people and responsibilities. You may feel like you want to “take it easy,” or wish you could have more time to yourself to recharge. In extreme cases, you might even think of ending your life just to get away from all the stress and exhaustion you’re under.

    This is a natural response when you have so little energy, but it’s also a trap. The more you withdraw, the harder it is to get back into these habits, and the more likely you are to feel helpless and stuck.

    If You Think You Might Be Depressed, Ask For Help

    It’s impossible to diagnose yourself for sure based off an internet article. Even as a therapist, I can’t diagnose someone who’s not a client. But even if it’s not “official” depression, you still deserve support. It’s much easier to treat depression if you catch it early than wait for it to get severe.

    Reach out to friends and family you trust, or look for a support group. Often, just talking about your problems can help you work out how to solve them, and help you feel less alone. It’s also a good idea to check with your physician for illnesses or nutritional deficiencies. Sometimes depression has a physical cause that you can treat. If you’re thinking of ending your life, call or text the National Suicide Prevention Hotline, or find your local warmline if you just need someone to talk to.

    If you need a formal diagnosis, more focused support, or are worried about “burdening” others, consider getting a therapist. Most of my clients have experienced depression at some point, and I’m happy to report that it’s almost always treatable. In my next post I’ll go over some of the strategies I use for it with clients. See you then!