– What it Feels Like to be Depressed: A Nashville Therapy Perspective, Part I

Last Updated on May 4, 2023 by Chris Roberts

AN ARTICLE DESCRIBING SOME TYPICAL EXPERIENCES OF THOSE WHO ARE GOING THROUGH DEPRESSION

By: Chris Roberts, MACP, LPC-MHSP (Licensed Professional Counselor) Two Trees Counseling Nashville

One of the first and most difficult parts of dealing with depression is being able to identify it in the first place. For most people, depression sneaks up on us. We have a bad day here and there. We don’t feel as motivated as we used to feel, but it’s not an overwhelming sense of deadness or drudgery. Most people have some experience with feeling down or numb a day or two in their lives, so it’s easy to dismiss these down feelings as just one-off’s.

THE DIFFICULTY WITH ADMITTING DEPRESSION
The specific criteria in the DSM-V states that a person must feel at least 5 of the listed criteria mostly every day for a 2 week period. So, it’s easy to see how a person can “justify” not self-describing as depressed, because it would take at least 2 weeks of experiencing these consistent feelings and nothing is ever clear over a 2 week period. For many people, especially their first encounter with depression, it takes at least 4 to 6 months of feeling down or numb or unusually overwhelmed before they can begin to even admit there is a problem.

WHAT DO THOSE 2 WEEKS OR 4 MONTHS FEEL LIKE IN DEPRESSION?
Most people will describe depression as a lack of desire or excitement or enjoyment in activities that used to give them pleasure. The problem is that most of don’t recognize how pleasurable activities are until we can no longer have them or experience them. Also, because it’s a lack of enjoyment, it’s hard to really describe how difficult or painful the lack feels inside of us.

DEPRESSION IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DESCRIBE
It’s difficult to put into words. Overall, this is a pretty consistent theme of those struggling with depression. It’s difficult to describe. It’s numbness, but with a bite. It feels like laziness, but it hurts more. It’s pressurized, but we have no idea where the pressure is originating, or even specifically where it’s being felt. I just don’t feel like doing anything, but I really don’t know why.

LACK OF MOTIVATION
The over-caricature of a depressed person lying in bed all day has roots in a larger theme based in a lack of motivation. The problem with the word motivation is that “motivation” always seems to be tied to something that is in our conscious awareness and control. The trouble with depression is that we know we are missing that internal locus of motivation, but we have no idea where it went, how it got there in the first place, or how to get it back. And this is such a key part of depression. Most people fundamentally have a normal posture towards motivation and movement and fulfillment. When we are in a depressed state that normal posture just evaporates. In a future article, we will discuss more of what it’s like to be depressed.

GETTING HELP WITH NASHVILLE INDIVIDUAL PSYCHOTHERAPY
As difficult as it is to admit to ourselves that we may be experiencing depression, it is just as hard to reach out to a therapist for help. There is so much confusion and shame and obviously, lack of motivation. But, just being willing to spend some time meeting with a trained professional who will listen and care and be attentive can start to lessen some of the effects of the depression. Chris Roberts has worked with many people dealing with depression and would love to be of help. Chris can be reached at chris@nashvillecounselor.net or (615) 800-9260.