As we move into the fall and winter months, you might notice yourself becoming more lethargic. Your mood might worsen, and you might become more irritable or sad. Although seasonal changes can affect many people, for some, these winter blues could be a sign of clinical depression.

In October, we honor National Depression and Health Screening Month, and bring the discussion of depression awareness to the forefront. Although we’ve come a long way, still only around 60% of the 14.5 million Americans going through a major depressive episode get the treatment they need.

At MINES, we’re committed to increasing mental health awareness every day of the year, not only in October. Today, we’ll talk about what depression can look like, and give you practical tips on how to cope.

What are some of the more uncommon signs of depression?

We all have a picture in our minds of what depression looks like. You might understand that it causes sadness, and you’d be correct – but depression is also so much more than that.

Other than a sad mood, some other signs and symptoms of depression include:

  • You’re more tired than usual with no explanation. Even when you sleep enough (or even too much), you still find yourself exhausted.
  • You become irritable or short-tempered over small things that normally wouldn’t bother you. This irritability can sometimes mask the sadness underneath, but that might not always be obvious.
  • You find it hard to concentrate or make decisions, even on tasks you used to handle without a problem.
  • Physical pain, like headaches or muscle aches, appears without any clear cause, and no medical explanation seems to fit.
  • You’ve lost interest in activities or hobbies you used to enjoy, but it feels more like apathy than sadness.
  • Your eating habits change – either eating much more or much less than usual – and you may not connect it to your mood.
  • You start isolating yourself from social situations, even when you know you’ll miss your friends or loved ones afterward.
  • Feelings of guilt or worthlessness become constant, and you start believing you’re a burden to others.
  • You might start drinking alcohol or using drugs more frequently as a way to cope with your emotions or numb the pain, even if you didn’t have a habit before.
  • You’re constantly on the verge of tears. You experience unexplained crying spells that seem to come out of nowhere, even when you’re not feeling particularly sad at that moment.
  • You may have trouble remembering things or feel like your brain is in a fog, and even everyday tasks feel overwhelming.
  • You engage in risky or impulsive behaviors that are out of character, like driving recklessly or making sudden major life decisions.
  • You feel unusually pessimistic or hopeless about the future, even during moments when things are objectively going well.
  • You have a persistent sense of being emotionally numb, feeling detached from your surroundings or from people you care about.

If these signs describe you, then it’s important to get screened for depression so you can get the right diagnosis and start treatment.

How to cope with depression

Even if you do think you have depression, there is hope. Just like most health conditions, depression is treatable. It’s nothing to be ashamed of, and it’s not a sign of weakness. Anyone can develop depression, regardless of gender, age, and race.

Here are some tips on how you can cope with depression, including using your employee assistance program for support.

Exercise

Physical exercise isn’t just good for your physical health; it’s one of the best things you can do for your mental health as well. Research shows that exercise, especially walking and jogging, yoga, strength training, and other aerobic exercises, are so effective for reducing symptoms that they’re considered to be successful interventions for depression.

Find fun ways to move your body. You don’t need to go to the gym if that’s not your thinking – taking long walks around the neighborhood with your dog or attending a dance or yoga class can be just as effective.

Connect with loved ones

Depression can come along with a desire to self-isolate, which can get you stuck in a vicious cycle. The more depressed you are, the less you may want to be around people – but the less you’re around people, the more depressed you feel.

Having a strong social support network is a protective factor against depression, which means that it can prevent you from developing depression (or lessen symptoms if you already have it). It’s okay to have a balance if you need some alone time, but try to resist the urge to isolate yourself. Reach out to trusted loved ones. If you feel safe doing so, tell them that you’re going through a depressive episode. Let them know how they can support you. If you don’t have enough of a social network in your life, connecting with local or online support groups for depression can help.

Try to reframe your thoughts

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is well-known as one of the most effective therapy methods for depression. One common CBT technique for depression is to reframe unhelpful thinking patterns that may be making you feel even worse than you already do.

For example, say you feel tired because of depression. You think: “No matter how much I sleep, I’m so tired during the day. I’m so lazy. I’m such a failure. Why can’t I just feel better?” Your depression is causing you to think this way, but the thought also makes your depression worse. You may not be able to change the thought into a completely “positive” one, and you don’t need to do so. You can just reframe it slightly to take the negative self-judgment out of it: “I am tired because fatigue is a symptom of depression. Depression is a health condition that affects millions of people.”

Obviously, this tip, like many of the others on this list, is easier said than done when you live with depression. But even making tiny changes to the way you think may help improve symptoms little by little.

Tell your doctor

Depression is a mental health condition, so it’s best to see a mental health provider (like a therapist) for treatment. But your primary care physician can, and should, also do depression screenings as part of your annual physical exam. This is part of the reason we commemorate Depression Awareness and Screening Month – to encourage regular screening of depression on top of physical health conditions.

If you’re seeing the signs of depression and don’t know where to turn, let your PCP know. They’ll be able to provide a diagnosis and insight and refer you to treatment. Without diagnosis and treatment, depression is likely to get worse.

Use your Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Lastly, if you don’t have a therapist for depression, consider taking advantage of your EAP. If you’re a MINES client, we offer free and confidential counseling 24/7 for a wide variety of life problems. If we can’t help you with it, we’ll refer you to someone who can. Your EAP can be a life-saving resource, especially if you live in an area with a mental health provider shortage.

Connect with us today!

To Your Wellbeing,

The MINES Team