Understanding Major Depressive Disorder

Major Depressive Disorder is one of the most common mental health conditions, afflicting approximately 10% of the American population. Commonly referred to just as depression, MDD can be described as a pervasive, low mood that persists for most days during a two week period. In addition, individuals with depression may lose interest in activities or things they used to enjoy while feeling overwhelming sadness or disinterest. Thus, it makes sense that as a whole, depression usually looks like lethargy, drowsiness, and general lack of energy. It’s this particular symptom that people struggling with depression may find the most challenging as it makes it incredibly hard for them to start their day, let alone carry it out.

Many may find it difficult to get out of the bed in the morning and find the motivation to work or perform daily activities amidst persistent fatigue, drowsiness, and a lack of interest. As this routine slowly develops into a pattern, emotions such as sadness, anxious, stressed, or disappointment will follow. When one’s behavior reinforce these debilitating emotions, they loop back into increased stagnancy, locking the individual into the vicious cycle of depression. This “downward spiral” keeps many from doing the things that bring that bring enjoyment and meaning to their lives and is often one of the first things to address with individuals struggling with depression. Fortunately, behavioral activation, a well researched cognitive behavioral technique, can help with this.

Behavioral activation works to address the cycle of depression by acknowledging the link between our behavior and emotions. Instead of waiting to feel better or more motivated, it acknowledges that we need to actually engage in the opposite behavior in order for our emotions to change. By choosing to do this and getting out there despite any anxiety or depression we might be facing, we can most effectively work to disrupt the cycle through our proactive choices.

While using behavioral activation with a trained professional is best practice, you can start this process by charting your daily mood. For every hour or two, record your level of energy with a number on a scale from 0 to 10. After having done so for a week, you have a better overall snapshot of your level functioning throughout the week and on any given day.

The next step involves identifying times in which your mood is lowest and gradually introduce alternative activities that elevate it. This can commonly look like getting exercise which can jumpstart energy levels. Start with whatever you can do. Even a 10-minute walk several times a day can initiate the biggest difference. While adjusting your scheduling and finding alternative activities, work to cultivate a healthy routine with consistency, balance in work and personal life, adequate sleep, and a nutritious diet.

Depression is one of the most prevalent conditions people struggle with and understanding how it negatively impacts our ability to function actively on a daily basis is the first step in combating its symptoms. We also want to note that suicidal ideation can also emerge with this condition. If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.