You're Not Alone:
Understanding Depression Together
By Megan Cole, MSW, LCSW
We live in a time when, gratefully,
there is increasing awareness, acceptance, and support for people struggling
with mental illnesses. The other side of this coin, however, is that we are
bombarded with social media influencers' posts that, while often informative
and helpful, also may offer information and pop-psychology "advice"
that is confusing and contradictory. When you are struggling with feeling
overwhelmed by strong emotions, trying to sift through everything we can find
online can be a daunting task!
In our next few blog posts, I want to share
with you the information that you need to know about some of the most diagnosed
mental health disorders. Knowing what licensed clinicians use to identify and
diagnose these disorders may help you recognize these symptoms in yourself and
recognize when it might be time to schedule a meeting with a therapist or
psychiatry provider.
As the title
suggests, today, let's start with depression, one of the most-diagnosed mental
illnesses among Americans today. The statistics are sobering. A national survey conducted in 2023 by Gallup Polls asked
respondents if a doctor or nurse had ever told them they had depression. The
results indicated that nearly one in three American adults reported having been
diagnosed with depression at some point in their lives, and nearly two in
ten were currently experiencing or being treated for depression.
Rates of depression
diagnoses vary significantly based upon age, gender, race, and other
demographic distinctions. Women are diagnosed nearly twice as often as men
with depression, highest among ages 18-25, and among women who are multiracial.
Those residing in Appalachia and residents of Southern states, people with
disabilities and chronic illnesses, and those with lower income, lower
educational attainment, and those who are unemployed are linked to
significantly higher rates of depression diagnoses. (Links to all the studies
these data are pulled from is at the bottom of this post.)
The point of sharing these statistics is to help raise awareness for just how common it is to experience symptoms of depression, or to be diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD).
So, how do you know
whether you’re just in a slump, or whether it might be something more? Here
are some of the most common signs and symptoms of MDD based upon the Diagnostic
and Statistical Manual, 5th Revision (DSM-V):
- Feeling sad, empty, or hopeless most of the day
- Losing interest or enjoyment in things you used to like
- Changes in your appetite or weight
- Trouble sleeping, or sleeping too much
- Feeling tired/ low on energy, even after rest
- Feeling worthless, guilty, or overly self-critical
- Trouble focusing, making decisions, or remembering things
- Moving or speaking more slowly, or feeling restless/ unable to sit still
- Thoughts of death or wishing you weren't alive.
If you
are experiencing several of these for most of the day, nearly every day, for at
least two weeks, you may have depression. Reaching out to a mental health
professional can help you get support and guidance. Depression is highly
treatable with therapy, self-care practices, and/ or medication management.
Help is
just a phone call away. If you are having thoughts of harming yourself or
someone else, please call or text 988, the national mental health crisis
hotline, anytime, day or night.
We
believe that you deserve to be heard, encouraged, and supported in finding a
renewed sense of hope, healing, and wholeness. If you would like to schedule a
session here at the Counseling Center to discuss the signs of depression that
you are experiencing, reach out today by calling (336) 427-9022.
Sources from the article
for more information:
U.S. Depression Rates Reach New Highs
Major Depression - National Institute of Mental Health
(NIMH)
Women and Mental Health - National Institute of Mental
Health (NIMH)
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