Find the Joy in Life Again (Depression)
Depression can affect anyone and is different from grief or feeling generally down or sad.
Frustratingly, it can sneak up on us when things in life may be going ok, or even really well.
It’s a treatable condition and something that’s not likely to get better without help.
If you’re not feeling like yourself and it’s been more than a couple of weeks, please reach out. I’m here to help.
Symptoms of depression can include:
- Sadness
- Hopelessness
- Guilt
- Fear
- Fatigue
- Lack of motivation
- Loss of interest in things you used to enjoy
- Contempt toward yourself
- Sleep changes (too much, not enough)
- Eating changes (too much, not enough)
- Trouble concentrating
- Suicidal Ideation (i.e., thinking it would be nice not to wake up, but without having a plan to harm yourself)
Smiling Depression
When you think of depression, you might picture someone who seems overwhelmingly sad and has dropped out of their normal activities – someone who’s just not functioning. But there’s another way depression manifests for some.
Smiling Depression or hidden depression can feel just as bad and can be just as serious.
Doing things like going to work, maintaining your home, keeping up appointments and appearances are great when they’re an accurate reflection of your inner life. If you’re smiling through your emotional pain though, those behaviors can add to the intense pressure you’re feeling.
Smiling depression may show up in women who:
- Are professionally high-achieving
- Tend to be people-pleasers
- Subscribe to the “count your blessing” theory of life, feeling your pain is irrelevant because others have it worse
- Have perfectionist tendencies
- Find it intolerable to have or express painful emotions
Please contact me for help if this sounds all too familiar.
