Criterion Counseling and Consulting

Nate Van Heuveln | Psychotherapist & Consultant | 07/11/2024

Summary

• Depression can be hard to identify because a wide range of symptoms can show up differently in your thoughts, behaviors, and body.
• Depression includes three negative feedback loops that can make symptoms much worse if left unaddressed.
• You may be able to reduce mild depression symptoms on your own.
• Begin to notice how depression presents in your body and physiology.
• Use thinking activities to reduce your depression symptoms.
• Become more active to reduce your depression symptoms.
• Connect with others to reduce your depression symptoms.
• Seek professional help if your depression symptoms are severe and/or persistent.

Depression can manifest in various ways:

Moving slower than normal and having reduced energy
Persistent feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness
Social withdrawal or loss of interest in previously enjoyable activities

These symptoms may be subtle, making depression difficult to recognize. If you experience a persistent low mood that interferes with your daily life, you might be dealing with some form of depression.

By the end of this post, you will have a deeper understanding what depression is and how ways to manage depression-like symptoms on your own.

Note: Although I provide useful information on psychological challenges and wellness tips, I am not your mental health care provider. All content in this website is for informational purposes only. Seek support from a licensed mental health care specialist if you or anyone you know is suffering from challenges to well-being. Call 988 if you or anyone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis.

Overview of Depression Symptoms

Depression is common, affecting about 7% of Americans annually (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). You may be experiencing depression if you have any of these symptoms, especially if they interfere with your daily functioning:

Persistent sadness, anxiety, or emptiness
Hopelessness or pessimism
Irritability or feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness
Loss of interest in hobbies and activities
Fatigue or decreased energy
Slowed movement or speech
Restlessness or difficulty sitting still
Concentration or decision-making problems
Sleep disturbances
Appetite or weight changes
Thoughts of death or suicide
Unexplained physical discomfort

(National Institutes of Health, 2018)

Depression can reinforce itself through three feedback loops:

Negative thoughts
Physical inaction
Reduced social connections

Each of these can intensify depressed emotions, leading to a cycle of worsening symptoms if not managed effectively. While it’s important to be aware of these symptoms, avoid self-diagnosis. Many depression-like symptoms can be caused by other factors, such as hormonal imbalances or diet. Always consult a licensed healthcare provider for an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

Depression shows up in what you think and how you think

Depression often distorts your perception, making you view yourself, others, and the world through an overly pessimistic lens. This creates a negative feedback loop where feeling down leads to negative thoughts, which in turn intensify depressed feelings. This cycle repeats, potentially worsening the condition if left unchecked.

Common negative thought patterns in depression manifest in several ways. Thoughts about yourself might include beliefs like “I’m not good enough,” “I’m incompetent,” or “I’m unlovable.” When it comes to the future, you might find yourself thinking, “I won’t succeed in school or work,” “I won’t be successful in life,” or “I won’t be happy.”

Negative thoughts about others and the world are also common. You might catch yourself thinking, “People are no good,” “Who could ever love someone like me?” or “Current events are so horrible, why bother trying?” Recognizing these thought patterns is crucial for breaking the cycle and managing depression effectively. By identifying these negative thoughts, you can begin to challenge and reframe them, which is an important step in managing depression.

Depression presents in your decisions, actions, and performance

Depressive symptoms often manifest in behavioral changes that are readily observable. These can include avoiding challenges or responsibilities, decreased work performance, increased irritability, forgetfulness, and poor decision-making. These behaviors contribute to a negative feedback loop where feeling depressed leads to actions that reinforce the depressive state.

For instance, someone feeling depressed might stay in bed longer or procrastinate on tasks, which in turn intensifies their feelings of depression. This cycle can be self-perpetuating, making the depression worse over time. Recognizing this pattern is crucial in breaking the cycle. Understanding that engaging in these depressive behaviors will likely exacerbate depressive feelings can be a powerful motivator for taking action to counteract these tendencies.

By consciously choosing to engage in more positive behaviors, even when it feels difficult, individuals can start to disrupt this negative cycle and work towards improving their mental state.

Depression surfaces in your relationships and connection to others.

Depression often leads to social isolation, creating a harmful cycle that can exacerbate the condition. As depressive feelings intensify, individuals tend to withdraw from social interactions, spending more time alone than they typically would when not experiencing depression. This isolation, in turn, often worsens depressive symptoms, creating a negative feedback loop. The less time spent with others, the more severe the depression may become.

Recognizing this pattern is crucial for managing depression effectively. It’s essential to understand the importance of maintaining social connections, even when it feels challenging. Reaching out to and spending time with others, even if it’s just one or two trusted individuals, can play a significant role in breaking this cycle of isolation and depression.

By making conscious efforts to engage socially, despite the inclination to withdraw, individuals can take an important step towards managing their depression and improving their overall mental well-being.

You can take important steps right now to reduce your depressive symptoms

If you are experiencing relatively mild depressive symptoms or you notice you are just plain down or sad, there are solutions you can do yourself before you even step foot into a therapy session.

Get active. That’s right. Just start moving. Because depression is so strongly linked with reduced action, lethargy, decreased motivation, this is the time to “act as if” – that is behave “as if” you were not depressed even though you might be. Get out of the house. Go for a walk. Exercise. Do something healthy to increase your heart rate and circulation. For more advanced solutions, see this resource on strength training program for those with depression symptoms.

Change your thinking. Not completely, but just some of the negative or pessimistic thinking. Modify statements like, “I’m too tired to get out of bed” with something like, “Although I feel too tired to get out of bed, I am able to get out of bed, and I’ll feel better once I do.” Here’s another example: Replace “Nothing is going to get better” with “Although it feels like nothing will get better, I can make things a little better for myself and others around me if I…(fill in the blank).”

Connect with others. Text someone to say hi. Call someone. Make plans to meet someone you know at a café. You don’t have to talk about your depression if you don’t want to; just being with trusted others can be very therapeutic.

Conclusion: I urge you to get better at recognizing your depression-like symptoms, and to start doing something about it now.

Recognize the signs and symptoms of depression.

Know that symptoms you don’t deal with will likely become symptoms that just get stronger over time.

Things you can do today include doing some king of physical activity; modifying your most negative thoughts even if you really believe them; spending more time with others.

Seek guidance from either your primary care physician, clinical mental health practitioner, or both.

REFERENCES

• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). 2018. Depression. NIMH. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression
• American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596
• Non-Academic Resources
• Beck, J. S. (2020). Cognitive behavior therapy: Basics and beyond. Guilford Publications.
• Sokol, L., & Fox, M. (2019). The Comprehensive Clinician’s Guide to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Pesi.