Depression and what you can do about it.

Almost everyone gets the blues. Who hasn't felt sad at one time or another? But what if the blues hang on and on, affecting you day after day? What if a persistent sadness permeates all aspects of your life: your ability to perform, how you eat, how you sleep, and how you deal with friends and family? It could be that depression may have you in its grip.  Many times, with help from a psychologist- especially one who works from a cognitive behavioral perspective - you can work through your depression, get relief from your symptoms and find proactive ways to prevent re-occurrence.   Sometimes, medication plus cognitive behavioral therapy is the most helpful treatment. Here are some markers and symptoms that may be a sign of clinical depression:

•    You feel sad or cry a lot, and it doesn’t go away.
•    You feel guilty for no real reason; you feel like you’re no good; you’ve lost your confidence.
•    Life seems to have no meaning. You feel like nothing good is ever going to happen again.
      You feel  pessimistic or it seems like you have no feeling at all.
•    You don’t feel like doing a lot of the things you used to enjoy like listening to music,
      playing sports, being with friends, going out and you want to be left alone most of the time.
•    It’s hard to make up your mind. You forget lots of things, and its hard to concentrate.
•    You get upset easily. Little things make you lose your temper; you overreact.
•    Your sleep pattern changes; you start sleeping a lot more, or you have trouble falling asleep
      at night. Or you wake up really early most mornings and can’t get back to sleep.
•    Your eating pattern changes; you lose your appetite, or you eat a lot more.
•    You feel restless and tired most of the time.
•    You may be starting to feel so badly that you start to wonder if life is worth living, you think
      about death, or may even have thoughts about committing suicide.

If you experience symptoms of depression for more than two weeks, it's wise to talk to your doctor or a mental-health professional even if you think the symptoms are caused by something else. Most importantly, don't be afraid to ask for help.