FAQ on depression- Living with Depression

1. How does it feel to live with Depression?

Living with depression isn't easy. It can feel like a weight on our shoulders.

Feelings of hopelessness and emptiness can cloud your thinking, judgment, and worldview. It can even make you feel like you’re working twice as hard as everyone else just to make it through the day.

2. What is the difference between feeling down and Depression?

Everyone feels sad now and then; feeling depressed is a part of daily human life. But, clinical depression is different. It is a medical disorder, and it does not go away just because someone wants it to. It can last weeks and affect daily ability to love, work and play.

3. What are the symptoms of Depression?

• Low mood.

• Loss of interest in things that you enjoy.

• Change in appetite.

• Feeling worthless or excessively guilty.

• Sleeping too much or too little.

• Poor concentration.

• A feeling of restlessness.

• Loss of energy.

• Recurrent thoughts of suicide.

If you have five of these symptoms, according to psychiatric guidelines you are diagnosed as clinically depressed.

4. What resources are available for Depression?

Seeking medical help can do wonders for people living with chronic depression. It can take up to 10 years for people with chronic mental issues to seek medical help. Taking the first step is the hardest part of getting help for these people.

If you know someone with depression, empathy and talking about depression can help them seek help for chronic depression.