Describing a depressed person involves observing persistent low mood, loss of interest (anhedonia), and significant changes in energy, sleep, appetite, and concentration, often accompanied by feelings of worthlessness, guilt, emptiness, or irritability, leading to withdrawal and difficulty functioning in daily life, though it can manifest differently, sometimes hidden by masks.
What to Say to Someone Who is Depressed.
If someone you know is battling with depression, here are some encouraging things to say.
The terms “depressive temperament,” “depressive personality,” and “depressive personality disorder” have been used interchangeably in the literature to refer to the following constellation of traits: introversion, passivity, and nonassertiveness; gloominess, cheerlessness, and joylessness; self-reproach and self- ...
Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. Also called major depressive disorder or clinical depression, it affects how you feel, think and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems.
The psychological symptoms of depression include:
'It's my fault. ' 'Nothing good ever happens to me. '
Depression can also involve other changes in mood or behavior that include:
Major depression is an illness with objective physical signs occurring with some consistency. These signs are retardation of movements and diminished gestures and expressions. The patient may appear tired, self-concerned, bored, and inattentive and display a loss of interest in the surroundings.
The "5 R's of Depression" refer to key stages in the illness's course and treatment: Response (symptom improvement), Remission (few symptoms left), Recovery (sustained remission/symptom-free), Relapse (symptoms return before full recovery), and Recurrence (a new episode after full recovery). Understanding these stages helps track progress, prevent setbacks, and manage expectations in dealing with major depressive disorder, notes Psychology Today https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/two-takes-on-depression/201103/depression-do you-know-all-your-rs and the Eisenberg Family Depression Center.
It's thought that your chance of getting severe depression may be partly affected by the genes you inherit from your parents.
To uplift someone, use quotes about resilience, self-worth, and perseverance like Nelson Mandela's "It always seems impossible until it's done," or Maya Angelou's "You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it," reminding them their struggles are valid, better times are ahead, and you believe in their ability to overcome challenges, focusing on their inner strength and the importance of taking small steps forward.
But depression is so insidious—and it compounds daily—making it impossible to ever see the end. That fog is like a cage without a key.” This famous quote was taken from the best-selling memoir by Elizabeth Wurtzel, Prozac Nation: Young and Depressed in America (1994).
The first stage of a mental breakdown, often starting subtly, involves feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, and increasingly anxious or irritable, coupled with difficulty concentrating, changes in sleep/appetite, and withdrawing from activities or people that once brought joy, all stemming from intense stress that becomes too much to handle.
There's no single "hardest" mental illness, but Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), Schizophrenia, and severe/treatment-resistant conditions like depression or bipolar disorder are frequently cited due to extreme emotional volatility, distorted reality, profound functional impairment, and significant impact on relationships and daily life, making them incredibly challenging to live with and manage. The difficulty often stems from intense internal pain, difficulty regulating emotions, social isolation, and the pervasive nature of symptoms.
The 5 C's of Mental Health provide a framework for well-being, often cited as Competence, Confidence, Connection, Character, and Caring, focusing on feeling capable, believing in oneself, nurturing relationships, living by values, and showing empathy. While some variations exist, like adding Compassion, Coping, or Community, the core idea is building resilience through personal growth and strong relationships, helping individuals manage challenges and thrive.
Mental Health Conditions: Depression and Anxiety
Five common symptoms of depression include a persistent sad/empty mood, loss of interest or pleasure (anhedonia), significant fatigue or low energy, changes in sleep (insomnia or sleeping too much), and difficulty concentrating or making decisions, often accompanied by feelings of worthlessness or guilt, and sometimes suicidal thoughts. These symptoms, lasting most of the day, nearly every day for at least two weeks, significantly impact daily functioning.
Facial signs of depression can manifest as reduced facial expressions, changes in eye contact, and overall appearance. These signs can reflect the emotional state of an individual and may be noticeable to others.
People high in neuroticism (very emotionally sensitive) and introverts are two personality types more likely to experience negative thoughts research finds. In addition, being introverted is linked to spontaneously remembering more negative life events.
Increasing depressive severity has been linked to longer individual pause durations (but not number of pauses), greater overall pause duration while speaking, decreased speaking rate and reduced pitch variability (Mundt et al., 2007), while depressed patients have also been shown to demonstrate reductions in the ...
New evidence shows that people who maintain a range of healthy habits, from good sleep to physical activity to strong social connections, are significantly less likely to experience depression.
Signs that someone may be experiencing poor mental health
Stressful life events: Difficult experiences, such as the death of a loved one, trauma, divorce, isolation and lack of support, can trigger depression. Medical conditions: Chronic pain and chronic conditions like diabetes can lead to depression. Medication: Some medications can cause depression as a side effect.