More Than Blue: key signs of serious depression

Key Signs of Depression, aka

Things That Have Changed And Make You Want Your Old Self Back

1. 

Depressed mood. 

Feeling sad, lost, hopeless, irritable, or empty. These feelings stay around and happen almost all day or every day.

2. 

Loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities. 

The fancy word for this is 

ahedonia

, and it means that what used to be fun isn't anymore: the absence of normal pleasure and a loss of interest in what was previously enjoyed.

3. 

Change in appetite.

Some people lose interest in food, some people lose interest in everything except food. It may show up as a weight loss or a weight gain.

4. 

Change in sleep pattern

.

This could mean sleeping more, or suffering from insomnia (either the kind that keeps you awake at night or the kind that wakes you up too early in the morning).

5. 

Change in movement

.

This could mean being more agitated than usual, or slowing down: moving more slowly and talking more slowly.

6. 

Fatigue.

Just generally feeling too tired and drained, the kind of fatigue that you can't quite explain.

7. 

Feelings of worthlessness, self-reproach, or guilt

.

It's not just feeling bad about yourself, but feeling excessively and inappropriately bad. The feelings of guilt or worthlessness are out of proportion, maybe even making you feel unforgivable or unloveable or abandoned by God.

8. 

Change in thinking and concentration

.

Focusing might be harder than normal and decisions might be more difficult to make just in general.

9. 

Suicidal thoughts and acts.

 Thinking a lot about death, wishing to be dead, thinking about committing suicide, even making a plan to commit suicide or attempting it.

NOTE

: if this describes you, stop reading my blog and go call someone right now and tell them about how you're feeling. It's important. And if you don't know anyone you feel safe talking to, call this number: 

1-800-273-8255. 

If some of these symptoms are describing you, you may not just be going through a sad time in life: you may be clinically depressed. This kind of depression interferes with everyday life and lasts a long time, at least a few weeks---and it's a really good reason to call your doctor or talk with a community counselor. And, in case it helps, here's

some more info

and here are

some things I've learned about depression

.

5 Things I've Learned About Depression

DEPRESSION. I've been there, and you probably have too. Here are 5 things I've learned about it.

1. It's kinda complex.

• There are degrees of depression: There's feeling blue and then there's suicidal despair. It all falls under the gloomy heading of SAD, though.Clinical depression is the label that professionals use to diagnose a syndrome with a specific set of symptoms (that you can read about here)--it's how they distinguish ordinary mood changes from an illness that is interrupting life. 
• There's a lot of stuff that can cause it and contribute to it. Yeah, being dumped could certainly be a culprit, but so could unresolved anxiety, diet and sleep patterns, bipolar disorder, life changes, loss, chemical imbalances, physical trauma, stress, negative self-talk... You get the picture. 

2. It doesn't make you weird. 

It might surprise you, but there are probably 19 million people all around you suffering from major depression. No, I didn't make that number up and it's not an exaggeration. And of the other millions of people who don't have depression right now, many of them have in the past or might in the future. Major depression is a mood disorder, and experiencing it doesn't make you weird; it just indicates that you're human. So if you have symptoms that are interrupting your life, go ahead and

get some help

, because it's your life and now is absolutely the time to live it.

3. Faith can be a help, but it might not be the cure. 

Experiencing depression as a believer in Jesus is better in my opinion than experiencing depression without Jesus, because when you're unexplainably sad, having an intimate and gracious Friend is a wonderful comfort and a source of strength. But even the greatest Friend doesn't guarantee permanent bliss and emotional invincibility. I know that sometimes religious people talk about faith and salvation and the Holy Spirit as if they were bullet-proof armor against unhappiness, but that's silly. The most sacred of all books records the depression of the saintliest of all people: Hannah, Elijah, Peter, and yeah, Jesus.

So although moping around and feeling sorry for yourself isn't a virtue, feeling sad isn't a sin. If you're experiencing depression, don't make the fact that you're depressed another reason to be depressed. (That probably didn't make any sense.)

4. Some things don't make it better. 

From personal experience, I present to you the not-at-all-definitive list of things that probably won't help you get un-depressed:

• beating yourself up about it ("You stupid loser, stop being depressed" has never been proven to cure anyone)
• isolating yourself from the people that care. 
• dropping stuff that used to make you happy, usually in favor of more tv/food/internet/video games/whatever 
• binges. of any kind. Cuz you just feel crappier later.
• alcohol. This isn't from personal experience, but I thought I'd throw it in here because so many people like to drink when they're sad. But alcohol is physiological downer, so it only makes your body more sad which makes it harder for your mind to get happy. Las drogas son malas, tambien. 

5. But some things do. 

Maybe one of the sneakiest things about depression is that it usually sucks away all desire to. do. anything. So when you're depressed it's pretty challenging to muster up the energy and drive even to write down a list of "Things I Should Do (but probably won't because hey! I'm depressed and I'll probably live the rest of my life wearing sweatpants in the living room watching tv)." Therefore, to simplify the list-making process for you, I present another not-at-all-definitive guide of things that probably will make you feel better.

• Talk to someone about it. It's so twentieth century to suffer in silence thinking that depression is something to be ashamed about. You don't mind telling somebody that you have a sore in your mouth from eating too much pineapple, so why be shy about this? I know, I know: you think your depression is a sign that you're weak or unspiritual or silly, but it's not. It's real and it's normal and it's affecting you. And even though you're prone not to believe me, Mr. Depressed Guy, you matter. So talk to
• Your mom
• A friend
• Your favorite cousin
• Your roommate
• A professional counselor. Stop thinking it's weird. It's fine. If you want to find a professional near you, great places to start are your doctor's office, a list from your insurance company, and the counseling office of a nearby university.
• Do things that you used to enjoy. Think back to that time when you really derived pleasure from things. Now... what were those things? Go do one. Seriously. You don't have to enjoy your 30 minutes of knitting, just make yourself do it. Let the enjoyment come when it's ready, but open the door for it :) 
• Set modest goals for yourself and then feel awesome when you achieve them. For me that meant accomplishing 6 things every day, including "breakfast" and "getting dressed." Baby steps, people!
• Move. ---Not your address, but your body. It really can lift your mood, so take even a short walk outside. I'm not kidding when I say that some days that meant making myself walk to the mailbox. But it counts! It totally counts.

So, my friend, I leave you with this word of hope:

You don't have to feel this way forever.

There is help.

Let Them Eat Kale!

Kale

is the superstar of healthy food right now. Everything that is even a little bit good for you seems to be in kale: it's high in iron and calcium, fiber and antioxidants, omega fatty acids and hip factor. What's not to like?

For some people the answer to that question is, "The mystery. . . . and maybe the flavor a little bit too." There are those that find kale a little bitter, so they shy away from it. Most people, though, avoid kale at the grocery store mostly because they don't know what to do with it. "

So, I just munch it off the stem as I watch tv? Or what?" 

When I was a kid, I told my babysitter that I was allergic to spinach. That was a lie mostly, except for the fact that cooked spinach really does make me gag. If I make it go down my throat, it doesn't stay long. As with spinach, so with all greens. Therefore, while I like the self-righteous feeling of eating a lot of healthy greens, I'm also kinda picky about how I eat them.

So maybe if you're looking for a place to start with the wonder food we call kale, you'll also like these, my favorite kale recipes. Click on the pictures for links to the recipes.

• Sesame, Kale, and Tofu Salad >> 

This is a mildly flavored powerhouse of nutrition right here. No cooking required, either: just assembling! (My favorite kind of "cooking!")

• Super Garlicky Kale >> 

I recommend toasting almonds for this recipe (just toss raw almonds on a hot, dry skillet for a few minutes) and if you can take it, don't skip the red pepper.

• Kale Chips >> 

Works well with variations, as well, such as parmesan or cayenne. And even people who say they don't like this vegetable

love

kale chips. Try 'em!

• I couldn't find a recipe for my personal favorite >>

A bunch of kale torn into bite-sized pieces

An avocado or two, diced

A few big tomatoes, diced

A couple tablespoons of olive oil

A tablespoon or so of lemon juice

a teaspoon each of salt and cayenne

Then massage and mush all the ingredients together until the kale softens a bit.

"pleasure is a thing that also needs accomplishing"

"The Word" by

Tony Hoagland

Down near the bottom
of the crossed-out list
of things you have to do today,

between "green thread"
and "broccoli" you find
that you have penciled "sunlight."

Resting on the page, the word
is as beautiful, it touches you
as if you had a friend

and sunlight were a present
he had sent you from some place distant
as this morning -- to cheer you up,

and to remind you that,
among your duties, pleasure
is a thing,

that also needs accomplishing
Do you remember?
that time and light are kinds

of love, and love
is no less practical
than a coffee grinder

or a safe spare tire?
Tomorrow you may be utterly
without a clue

but today you get a telegram,
from the heart in exile
proclaiming that the kingdom

still exists,
the king and queen alive,
still speaking to their children,

––to any one among them
who can find the time,
to sit out in the sun and listen.