Are you experiencing persistent sadness? Have you lost interest in pleasurable activities? Do you experience feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, and guilt? Are you lacking energy? Do you awaken with morning sadness? If any of these symptoms apply to you, you may be suffering from depression.
Depression in women is particularly common. Many factors, including reproductive hormones, social pressures, and the female response to stress, can play a role in female depression. In fact, statistics indicate that one in eight women develops depression at some point in life. And in the United States, about 15 million people, most of whom are women, experience depression every year. Sadly, approximately two-thirds of these women do not seek help.
Depression can affect every aspect of our lives--our work, our social lives, our relationships, our senses of self and purpose. Depression can be so blinding that it seems impossible to get beyond the feelings of doubt and doom. Therefore, it’s very important to learn more about the symptoms of depression in order to get the help we need.
Who are we when we are engulfed in such great sadness? What is our life purpose? Will we ever feel happiness again? These are some of the thoughts expressed by many depressed women. Let’s face it--life is not easy. And if we live long enough, pain is inevitable. However, when we are depressed, we are not fully equipped to handle life’s struggles. The pain becomes unbearable, and we find it difficult to cope with even normal aspects of our life experience. Moving through life’s hardships is one thing, but doing it while battling depression is an entirely different story. When we are depressed, life in itself becomes a hardship, and almost every experience we encounter is enveloped with unpleasant feelings.
Just as there is pain in life, there is also joy--plenty of it. Yet, when we are depressed, we become blocked from the joy. The sadness, guilt, doubt, regret, anger, and fatigue take over, and we are expected to continue on regardless of our emotions. The difficulty of hiding the depression often pushes women into isolation, which can be very dangerous. It is important to reach out to a professional during these difficult times!
Psychotherapy has been proven to be extremely beneficial in treating depression. Sometimes we just need another person to listen and not judge what we are experiencing. If you are a woman battling depression, I can help. Contact me today to schedule an appointment in my Longmont or Boulder, CO office.
