Sunday, June 14, 2015

You know you're depressed when...





I know I've written about this many times before, but it's relevant for me lately, and writing about it again is therapeutic.


You know when you're depressed when...
Selfie from the Vortex, just prior to hospitalization, 2012

  • you can't, or can barely get out of bed because it feels like you're wearing an invisible bodysuit of lead. (This is beyond the typical grogginess, sleeping past 7 snoozes, "I hate Mondays" kind of feeling. It is this times a thousand.
  • getting into the shower feels like the start of a marathon - for a non-runner
  • taking a shower feels like performing an exorcism
  • you have no interest in food, or
  • you do nothing but eat - especially carbs and junk (sweets, salty snacks, chocolate, soda, etc.)
  • you can't sleep, or
  • you sleep all the time
  • you've lost interest in what used to interest you
  • you watch mindless TV all the time, or
  • you watch no TV at all and find yourself staring endlessly at the blank, black screen or the ceiling
  • you feel like you're watching the world from the outside looking in. 
  • you wonder how other people can function: go to work or class everyday, cook meals, maintain a relatively tidy house, have hobbies, achieve goals...laugh...

Remedies?

  • turn the tv off
  • get out of bed
  • get into the shower - exorcism or not
  • get out of the the house and interact with others
  • walk - if only for 15 minutes
  • have a glass of water
  • eat your favorite fruit
  • call someone you love who'll listen without prescribing
  • write about it (like this blog) or express yourself in some creative way
  • go to bed so that you can get 8 hours of sleep
  • wake up and repeat the above steps