Imagine having the time of your life one day then waking up the next day lonely and empty.
The feelings of guilt, regret and having no emotional feeling of happiness and joy. Depression is a mental health illness that not only impacts the mind but also controls the way how people think and feel.
“I was starting to feel empty around the age of 28,” Trisha Getty, mother of four children said. “My depression started to get worst until I got on the right medication.”
Getty was diagnosed with bipolar depression at 28 and still faces her depression every day.
“Besides my depression, I also experience manic periods where I always feel excited and energized,” Getty said. “You talk fast to people, you feel like you are on top of the world.”
Depression is a worldwide problem. Like Getty, over 300 million people experience depression every single day. Out of those 300 million, 16.2 million people in the United States had at least one major depression episode that affected their life in some way. Before we get to find out where we can get help first let us understand what depression is and the symptoms.
What must happen to be considered as a major depression episode?
“While many people may experience one or more symptoms of depression at various times in their life if a person experiences numerous symptoms that last at least two weeks.
Alissa Brown, a Cabrini psychologist, said, “These symptoms impact the person’s ability to function, they may meet criteria for a diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder.”
The symptoms of depression below
- Sleep issues on an almost daily basis (either difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much).
- Changes in appetite and weight (change of more than 5 percent body weight in a month) or a decrease or increase in appetite nearly every day.
- Decreased energy or fatigue almost every day.
- Difficulty concentrating, making decisions, and thinking clearly.
- Feeling Empty inside.
- Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide, a suicide attempt, or a specific plan for suicide.
What is a Manic Episode?
Besides depression, there is also an extreme manic period some people face. Getty also explained how she experiences manic periods where she feels like she is on top of the world.
Manic is a part of bipolar disorder where a person experiences periods of lows and depression but also experiences Manic which is extreme highs there is no balance or in between.
Here are some symptoms of manic episodes but in order for someone to be classified with a manic episode, the person must experience three of the symptoms below.
Specific Symptoms of a Manic Episode
- Inflated self-esteem or grandiosity.
- Decreased need for sleep. (e.g., one feels rested after only 3 hours of sleep)
- More talkative than usual or pressure to keep talking.
- Flight of ideas or subjective experience that thoughts are racing.
- Attention is easily drawn to unimportant or irrelevant items.
- Increase in goal-directed activity (either socially, at work or school; or sexually) or psychomotor agitation.
- Excessive involvement in pleasurable activities that have a high potential for painful consequences. (e.g., engaging in unrestrained buying sprees, sexual indiscretions, or foolish business investments)
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately 2.6% of American adults have bipolar disorder.
Depression and Bipolar can affect students too
Getty, maybe an adult but what lead to her depression was the consistent anxiety she had in class as a student.
“First of all, I think that there is a lot of anxiety students face which stems from their own personal beliefs about themselves,” Dr. Tamarah Smith, a psychology professor at Cabrini, said. “Some beliefs I have noticed was whether or not they belong here and are they good enough or not.”
The school has been one of the main reasons why students have suffered from depression and suicide.
- According to the center for discovery, some important statistics to think about are every 100 minutes a teen takes their own life.
- Suicide is the third-leading cause of death for young people ages 15 to 24.
- About 20 percent of all teens experience depression before they reach adulthood.
- Between 10 to 15 percent suffer from symptoms at any one time.
- But the biggest statistic is only 30 percent of depressed teens are being treated for it. We must spread awareness and get people to go get help.
Where do I go to get help?
Seeing psychologists will get people on the right track but nothing changes fast understanding that change will take long, Getty still has bipolar issues today even though she was diagnosed 10 years ago.
“Some of the ways you can be helpful to a loved one with depression are to let them know that you care about them and support them, listen without judgment, let them know that there are supports available to them and that depression is treatable,” Alissa Brown, Cabrini psychologist, said. “There are free 24/7 resources such as the National Suicide Prevention Hotline (1-800-273-8255) or Crisis Text Line (Text “START” to 741-741).”
Even at Cabrini, there are mental health services provided to get mental health treatment and help yourself before it is too late.
You can get help by visiting Counseling and Psychological Services in Grace Hall room 174.
