"Feeling depressed" is a phrase that is commonly used by many people. There's nothing wrong with that, exactly, because depression is feeling sad and out of sorts. However, depression goes beyond feeling blue and down.

We all go through periods of time where we just don't feel ourselves. It was a rough week, a bad day, etc...and we can't help but feel defeated. However, after a little bit of time, we bounce back and we're good to go.

Unfortunately, not everyone is lucky enough to just bounce back from feeling sad. Worsening the issue is that they deal with a variety of other symptoms. This is the reality for many people who are dealing with clinical depression or major depressive disorder.

What Is Clinical Depression?

Clinical depression goes far beyond feelings of sadness. It is a mental health condition that impacts many people throughout the world. Many people throughout the world suffer from depression silently. While the stigma of mental health disorders is decreasing, it still exists.

To be diagnosed with clinical depression, someone must have experienced any combination of symptoms for more than 2 weeks at a time. Not every single person will deal with depression in the same exact way, but here is a list of the most common signs and symptoms.

Signs of Depression

• Loss of interest in activities

• Changes in appetite(eating more or less)

• Changes in sleeping habits(most commonly sleeping more, but insomnia can also occur).

• Loss of energy/fatigue

• Stomach aches/GI issues

• Headaches

• Feeling restless

• Difficulty focusing

• Feeling worthless

• Feelings of shame or guilt

• Social isolation

• Low self-esteem

• Thoughts of self-harm or suicide

These symptoms can range from mild to severe and it's not uncommon to experience new ones the longer depression goes untreated.

How To Cope With Depression

Dealing with depression often means that virtually every area of a person's life is impacted. From school, work, relationships, household responsibilities, and social obligations — depression is damaging, to say the least. Here are a few tips to help cope with depression.

Take It One Step or One Day at a Time

It's common for people to berate themselves endlessly for things that they didn't get done, especially for those dealing with depression. If you aren't able to keep up with things in your own life, you can feel lousy about yourself and unworthy. 

Remember, you are doing the best that you can. Your worth is not measured by the amount of things you can accomplish. Focus on what you did get done. If you were able to even do one or two things, in spite of how you feel, you should feel proud of that.

Stick to a Routine

Sticking to a set routine each day can help you feel as if you are controlling your depression symptoms. As we mentioned earlier, it's common for there to be sleep disturbances when you are battling depression. While it may be hard, try to stick to a set time for going to bed and waking up.

Having a schedule for yourself in other areas can help as well. For example, after work, you might need to come home and decompress for a while before jumping into cooking dinner. There is nothing wrong with that at all. It may even help you lift your mood if, during this decompressing time, you try to do something you know you enjoy doing, like an activity or hobby.

Reach Out for Support

Many people who struggle with depression isolate themselves away from their social circles or family. In large part, this is due to not wanting to burden anyone with their struggles. However, isolating yourself from other people only inevitably prolongs depression and makes you feel worse in the long run.

If you don't feel comfortable talking to loved ones about your feelings, that's okay. But you still deserve to find support throughout this time. Depression therapy is an invaluable tool that can help you get to the root cause of what is happening and, most importantly, can help you find relief. Reach out when you are ready.