I am depression
Everyone confuses me with sadness
But I am so much stronger than this
Sadness is just having a rough time, but that passes
But I will make you feel so hopeless that it’ll be like you’re drowning
Suddenly everything that used to bring you joy is just
“Eh”
The days start to drag on and resemble each other
The flavor that your life once had has just left
Leaving your day to day activities to be purely bland
Why even get out of bed in the morning, there is really no point anymore
Every single day I wake up beside you
Explained
The terms depression and sadness are used interchangeably by some people but depression is a serious mental disorder that should not be discussed lightly. Depression can cause feelings of hopelessness and can lead a person to sleep and eat too much or too little. For someone to be formally diagnosed with depression, symptoms must be persistent for at least 2 weeks. About 17.3 million adults, 18 and older, are diagnosed with depressive disorder (about 7.1% of the population). [21]
Different forms of depression impact different groups of people based on their backgrounds and surroundings. A persistent depressive disorder is characterized by having at least 2 years of depressive episodes, regardless of the severity. Postpartum depression occurs in a large number of women after they give birth. Though the cause of this type of depression is not known, scientists believe that it has something to do with the drop in hormones that occur after childbirth. Finally, there is seasonal affective disorder, which occurs during the colder months when there is less sunlight. This type of depression usually lasts for a few months and goes away during spring or summer. Depression often goes hand in hand with another mental disorder since the two disorders can spark similar emotions.
Symptoms of depression include: loss of interest, fatigue, having difficulty concentrating, physical body aches, and suicidal thoughts. Not all people experience the same symptoms for depression; symptoms can vary based on the background of the person and the stage of the illness. Those who have had family members with depression, experienced a traumatic event, had a physical illness for an extended period, or took medication with a side effect of depression are more at risk of developing this disorder. However, it is important to note that depression is fairly common and can affect anyone. To help lessen the effects of depression, people can get psychotherapy to explore the root of their depression, or electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), which is meant to stimulate the brain in different ways. People with depression can also be prescribed antidepressants by their therapists, which can be used instead of therapy or in conjunction with therapy. [22]