Depression is one of the most common reasons why people seek counseling. Depression can suck all the joy out of life, drain you of any energy or motivation, and leave you feeling like an empty shell of yourself. It can be truly hellish and soul-crushing. And, just as bad -

so many people just don’t. get. it.

(Cue the “why don’t you just try…” refrain.)

Fortunately, our therapists know what it’s like. We may have our own lived experience with depression, or we may have a lot of experience in supporting clients or loved ones who have. We recognize that many of us will experience depression at some time in our lives, and we know that depression doesn’t have to take control forever.

there is hope.

If you’ve been struggling with depression, read on or just reach out to talk more. We'd love to offer you support and tools.

signs of depression

Depression can often be misunderstood by well-meaning friends, family, and even by those who suffer.  If you’ve ever had someone say, “Just get over it” or “Stop feeling sorry for yourself,” you know what we’re talking about.

We all know how to WebMD a condition, so let’s talk about how people usually describe being depressed. The first image that comes to mind is that antidepressant commercial from years ago with the blob. The poor little guy was so miserable and blob-like and just couldn’t enjoy or feel good about anything. Watching that commercial made us feel depressed too!

Some other ways we hear real people talk about depression:

“I just don’t know what’s wrong with me. I don’t want to do anything.”

“I cry a lot” (usually said with tears in their eyes).

“I don’t have any energy.”

“I feel empty, and I wonder, “What’s the point?”

 “I don’t care about things. I used to love to ________, but I don’t even care about that anymore.”

“I just want to stop feeling this way.”

“It’s all I can do to drag myself out of bed in the morning.”

“I’m stuck in a dark hole.”

Related Issues

Many other symptoms and experiences can be connected with depression as well. Often, when we’re feeling depressed, we don’t feel good about ourselves and may suffer from low self-esteem and low self-confidence, which can impact every other part of life too. Sometimes we can become so depressed that we engage in self-harming behaviors, ranging from overeating to cutting.

being depressed and a highly sensitive person (hsp)

Depression is also one of the most common mental health struggles for highly sensitive people (hsps). Research tells us that highly sensitive people who experience a positive environment are more likely to experienced heightened positive effects from that environment. Research also shows that the opposite is true - hsps who experience a negative environment are likely to be even more negatively impacted. So, things like not having a very supportive family when we were growing up, being in a really tough work environment, or feeling lonely and disconnected can cause sensitive folks to tend toward depression.

Toss in a history of depression running in your family, biological factors you have no control over, then add in how you’re a sensitive person bombarded by all sorts of problems on the daily (and sometimes minute-by-minute). It’s no surprise that depression is a common struggle for sensitive people.

Situational Depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

Sometimes the symptoms of depression may be more organic and biological in nature, and sometimes they’re very tied to something going on in our lives. The environments we live in (home, work, school, community) can have a big impact on how we feel. Situational depression brought on by something like a job loss, move to a new place, or a break-up or divorce is real and can be debilitating, as is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) - when we feel depressed because of less sunlight (Vitamin D) and shorter, darker days. (However, some people experience SAD when the days are too sunny and long. Moral of the story - we’re all different and similar too.) 

Depression and Anxiety, bipolar disorder, substance abuse and more

Other mental health diagnoses commonly overlap with depression. Anyone who struggles with Bipolar Disorder knows that depression is a major part of the ups and downs. Often, anxiety and depression go hand-in-hand as well, acting like a see-saw - one goes up, the other down. Substance abuse and disordered eating frequently go hand-in-hand with depression too.

Coping with Depression

Depression is like carrying an actual 50-pound weight around. It quickly sucks the life out of us, makes it hard to have any positive experiences, makes us want to be alone—which usually feeds the depression beast—and at its worst, it tries to convince us that life isn’t worth living.  Depression is a tyrant! And, it’s a tyrant no one should have to face alone.

We’ve been there—in the dark, in the ooze and the muck, certain that things will never get better. We’re here to tell you that that is depression’s favorite lie. It’s not true . . . not one bit.  Please don’t stay lost in the dark by yourself. It’s way too hard and too painful. Reach out. Or, allow someone to reach out to you. You don’t have to keep suffering. You deserve so much better than this pit.

Depression Counseling Can Help

Let us help you learn how to deal with this depression and get back to life as you want it to be. We’d love to talk about how we might partner together to help. Contact us today!

Get Help overcoming depression in Sacramento or online

Whatever may be causing or contributing depression, we invite you to take the first steps toward healing and reach out to talk about what's causing you so much hurt. Let's work together on helping you feel better.

Contact us, and we can begin developing the understanding, support and tools you need to get through the depression and go back to feeling like yourself again - or for the first time. We’d love to help.