The Difference Between 'The Blues' and Depression

[Hamster]

I've been going to depression therapy and classes and I've learned a lot of information that is illuminating. Some people in my life don't really understand what depression is so they say things like "just cheer up :)" or "Just put it behind you and live your life, you just have to be strong." They have good intentions but they don't really understand that depression (Dysthymia and Major Depression) are actually diseases and not just someone being too sensitive. So I'm posting about the differences:


Feeling the Blues

1. Having a bad day. Feeling disappointed or upset
2. You still respond positively to positive things
3. Negative feelings last only a few moments to hours.

Situational Moodiness

1. Feeling cranky, moody, or irritable
2. Feelings are in response to a specific situation (e.g. having a fight with a loved one)
3. Other parts of life (sleep, self-esteem, concentration, appetite) may be affected.
4. Lasts days to months
5. Mood improves if situation improves

Grief

1. Intense sadness, tearfulness that can last for up to six months
2. In Response to a specific loss (e.g. death or divorce)
3. Self-Esteem is usually okay
4. Over time, sadness decreases and pleasure and positive feelings increase

Dysthymia

1. Long-term sadness and low levels of pleasure
2. Chronic low energy and low self-esteem
3. Able to function in things like work, school, relationships, but not at full potential. Not as fully as normal
4. Lasts 2 years or more

Major Depression

1. Many symptoms of depression
2. Symptoms last every day, for two weeks or more
3. Self-esteem, energy, relationships, work are negatively affected
4. May have thoughts of suicide, plans to commit suicide, or simply just wanting to die
5. In Manic-Depressive illness, may alternate with periods of mania (hyperactivity)

Worth noting is that you can be dysthymic and have regular episodes of major depression, so essentially you can be both of those things

Symptoms of Depression

• Anxiety
• Nervousness
• Inability to Experience Pleasure
• No Motivation
• Feeling either excessively slow or excessively "sped up"
• Not maintaining health, hygiene, or environment
• Apathy
• Isolating - Avoiding others etirely
• Being obsessed with something trivial
• Irrational thought patterns
• Feeling unconnected with your body
• Poor motor coordination caused by no apparent physical reason
• Overeating or Undereating (appetite disturbance)
• Crying
• Compulsive Behavior
• Feeling worthless and/or inadequate
• Secretiveness
• Being excessively controlling or manipulative
• Excessive quietness
• Easily frustrated and irritated
• Increased, abnormal negativity
• Increased smoking or drinking
• Failing to meet appointments
• Spending money unnecessarily - frivolously
• Dizziness
• Muscle Cramps
• Exccessive Sweating
• Feeling of true hopelessness
• Feeling generally discouraged
• Substance Abuse
• Concentration Problems
• Being careless (e.g. not wearing a seatbelt)
• Not returning calls, not answering the phone, and/or turning off the answering machine
• Strong feelings of abandonment
• Strong feelings of rejection
• Craving illicit drugs
• Feeling compelled to take too much pain medication

Now obviously there's a lot of overlap between other mental and physical problems. For me and the people in my group therapy, 15 to 20 (or even all of them) is the average. In fact, some of the symptoms I had I didn't even know were from the dysthymia and depression. Some of them I actually thought were side effects of the medicine!

[Little Shepherd]

26 1/2 for me. On the inability to experience pleasure, I didn't completely have that. But anything that broke through my depression and caused a spike in pleasure/happiness would lead to a "crash" later that went far below my already-low baseline mood.

[Hamster]

Are you seeing a doctor?

Yeah I had practically all of them except for 2 or 3. And I know what you mean about that strange euphoria that comes all of a sudden and then falls to the other extreme downward. Sometimes it happens to me when I drink caffeine or when I take a shower. Occasionally when I listen to music. It's weird

[Little Shepherd]

Yep. I'm on prozac and ritalin and doing much better.

[Hamster]

That's great!

[MrManNo1]

I've noticed a lot of people don't really understand depression. A lot of people don't seem to understand how, even though you have no real problems, you can still be depressed. Depression (although not always) is often not caused by situational factors. My wife's mother was one of those people who had this misunderstanding. When my wife (girlfriend at the time) told her that I was on Zoloft (which I had been on for the first few months of our relationship, though my wife didn't tell her for a long time after that), her mother didn't understand what I had to be depressed about. It's for this main reason that I rarely tell people I had (and still have attacks every once in awhile for weeks or months on end) depression. People just don't understand it, and it seems some people think less of you if they know.

[Catholicity]

30 of 34 eesh

[Moksha]

The Difference Between 'The Blues' and Depression ?

You can sing the blues.

20+

[Hamster]

As of today I guess I can add ADHD to the pile. Hopefully the medicine works and I can finally pay attention to something for 30 seconds without day dreaming

[4 Zion]

Heres something that has really helped me. Try two or three gel tablets of fish oil and a couple of St Johns wort every day. I was diagnosed with chronic depression.I have used Paxil and prozac in the past for a couple years.
I found 2000 mgs omega 3 works for me, if i am consistant taking the fish oil and St Johns. Actually seems to work just as well as the prozac did. I found while taking the other medications over time i had to increase the dosage. The herbal stuff with some excercise each day works just as well for me. Even if it doesnt work as well for you the fish or flax seed oil wont hurt you. Omega 3 fatty acids two or three of those and one or two of the 300 mgs of St. Johns.just adjust the amount to what seems to help.

Blessings!

[4 Zion]

I forgot to mention that B complex( liquid) and Vit D gel caps help also to elevate mood and energy. Especially if you struggle with seasonal affective disorder (SAD)

[Meta Knight]

I didn't go all the way down the list to see how many of the symptoms I fulfill, but I'm in the Depression camp too. I'm thinking it's Dysthymia with major depressive episodes (haven't gotten a formal diagnosis yet, for reasons I'm about to explain). I get that "you need to cheer up" line all the time from people who start to get an inkling of the presence of the condition (I'm not really in the business of telling people), or the far more irritating "I think you just need to pray about it," or the far, far more annoying "well it sounds like you need to get yourself right with God." In fact, it took me something like a year and a half to finally convince my parents that I needed to see someone, and they wouldn't let me see a psychiatrist, which means no meds, or even a psychologist. I had to fight tooth and nail with them just to get them to let me see my pastor (even that they did grudgingly, and only 'let' me because I'm an adult), and then a counselor.

Yeah, this is a bit of a touchy subject for me.

[justgin]

Anyone been on Remeron before? If so, how was it? My mom was just put on that drug today for depression.

[Moksha]

Heres something that has really helped me. Try two or three gel tablets of fish oil and a couple of St Johns wort every day. I was diagnosed with chronic depression.I have used Paxil and prozac in the past for a couple years.
I found 2000 mgs omega 3 works for me, if i am consistant taking the fish oil and St Johns. Actually seems to work just as well as the prozac did. I found while taking the other medications over time i had to increase the dosage. The herbal stuff with some excercise each day works just as well for me. Even if it doesnt work as well for you the fish or flax seed oil wont hurt you. Omega 3 fatty acids two or three of those and one or two of the 300 mgs of St. Johns.just adjust the amount to what seems to help.

Blessings!

Just a note to everyone regarding St John Wort. You shouldn't take it in conjunction with prescription anti-depressants.
I also tried fish oil but it didn't do much for me. Does it take a while to feel the effects?
Perhaps I have to give it a bit more time.

[4 Zion]

I have heard that St Johns may not be good to take with certain prescription anti depressants. I am not taking any medication besides the natural stuff. I think the Omega three helps with the brain chem balencing it only took a few days for me to see the differance. Everybody is slightly differant and what works for one person may not work well for another. Best to probably stay with it for a week or so to see if it is helping.

Blessings!