depression is a global crisis affecting people from all walks of life in 2020 alone there were a staggering 53 million new cases of mental health disorders and around 76 million cases of anxiety and major depression but many perhaps you included have no idea what it actually feels like on today's episode of the infographic show we're cutting through the silence join us as we reveal what it's really like to have depression many people mistakenly believe depression progresses through predictable state each leading naturally to the next but this isn't true it affects everyone differently with varying levels
of severity a person can shift unpredictably even going from feeling perfectly normal to the depths of Despair overnight and although there aren't formal medically recognized levels of depression we're going to break it down into four broad categories and tell you exactly what it's like to experience each one depression level one the most common level of depression is one that everybody on Earth is familiar with sad while it's not significant enough to lead to a true Mental Health crisis it is quite common the death of a loved one or a pet the loss of a job
or other significant event can usually prompt an individual to move to this feeling of depression an individual is still highly functional they're able to carry out their job as normal and they can maintain social interactions but something feels off conversations might feel like a chore and smiles don't always come off as easy almost as if something is physically weighing them down these are the rain any days of Life they're expected and everyone is going to go through at least some of them time is often the best remedy for this type of depression as distance gradually
soothes the pain while sufferers can still enjoy their usual hobbies and activities these events can lose some of their meaning and enjoyment life feels muted but not completely gray there's usually an awareness that this condition is temporary things can and will get better sadness is a natural response to Life's challenges but mild depression goes deeper it lingers longer and it quietly affects how you think feel and live your daily life depression level two mild depression is where things become more serious and we have the start of a true Mental Health crisis life becomes significantly more
muted while still functional everyday activities become aure in and of themselves work quality tends to suffer as shortcuts are taken or individuals make legitimate mistakes due to a loss of focus conversations can feel exhausting and keeping up the facade that everything is normal becomes an uphill battle after all nobody wants to be a Debbie Downer right wrong speaking up when you feel this way is crucial it's how you take control and stop things from spiraling further don't let the stigma silence you at this stage you might be so high functioning that most people have no
idea you're struggling as social creatures we'll often try to keep up appearances that things are fine but maintaining that facade can easily become a burden all on its own leading many to withdraw from social interactions entirely it's easier to Simply be alone and let shut in Behavior begin to manifest perhaps you can find yourself rushing home after work eager to escape the world outside even small triggers can stir deep emotional wounds maybe it's a popular song that reminds you of someone or passing a place where you have a cherished memory that's now long gone these
triggers are a significant wear on your mental health and it can be easier to avoid them all together by dramatically changing your lifestyle or simply avoiding going out into the world as much as possible after all your trigger can't hurt you if you don't come across them mild depression can lead to significant coping behaviors because we don't like to feel bad we find ways to cope with our pain unfortunately many of these behaviors are harmful creating a vicious cycle what starts as a way to find Comfort or numb the pain can quickly spiral reinforcing poor
mental health and leading to further deterioration the very thing you turn to for Comfort ends up making things worse shutting yourself in and watching television or playing video games can feel like a powerful way to cope but reinforcing these behaviors can lead to serious issues like agoraphobia in long-term depression suffers mild depression affects people in many ways but with moderate depression the challenges become much harder to manage depression level three this is where the condition has become critically serious depression has completely consumed someone's life it's a thing that you fall asleep with and it's waiting
for you when you wake up work quality suffers even more and some people may find regular employment to be difficult if not impossible even normal workplace feedback like constructive criticism can feel unbearable sufferers might react in Extreme Ways some with anger or frustration While others see it as validation of their own perceived shortcomings these feelings of inadequacy are a core driver of depression making everyday challenges feel overwhelming human interaction becomes incredibly taxing and it becomes extremely difficult to hide your depression in prolonged social encounters sufferers may increase ly retreats to hermit-like behaviors avoiding social situations
that feel uncomfortable or overwhelming over time this isolation can significantly increase the risk of developing additional mental health challenges such as agoraphobia it should be noted that while most individuals suffering from deep depression tend to prefer to avoid social contact some individuals actually react in exactly the opposite way depression often pushes sufferers toward instant gratification as a way to escape the pain and the nothing it creates it's a condition that's unique to each individual but some people with self-worth problems can actually find that their depression only pushes them further into riskier and riskier social interactions
this is why depression and other mental health disorders are often prevalent amongst those individuals drawn towards Cults hate groups and far-right ideologies the Deep need to feel a sense of belonging can leave sufferers vulnerable making them easy targets for groups that intentionally prey on those populations s they use Promises of acceptance pleasure or other lures to draw people in it can seem like a replacement for what the depression has stolen some people will find that they lose interest in sexual activities sex with a partner and even self- masturbation can suffer as the depressed individual simply
loses interest this can have collateral effects for people in relationships as the partner themselves begins to feel the tug of the depression a loss of sexual interest can trigger physical and emotional insecurity and a partner may not understand that it's not about them it's about the depressed individual's emotional state this is why communication is extremely important some however cope with this the opposite way by seeking out sex or engaging heavily in masturbation what those who haven't experienced this kind of depression need to understand is that depression is a joy killer it doesn't just take away
the joy people feel it strips them of the ability to even imagine that happiness or enjoyment could exist this is why it becomes easy to cope with depression through sex either with a partner or alone with pornography for some the excitement of sex might be the only positive experience they have in their day with an orgasm offering the sole moment of Happiness they've felt in weeks months or even years stigmatizing the sexual behavior of depressed people is not helpful instead understanding and support are crucial but sex isn't the only thing people will turn to as
a coping mechanism overeating very often accompanies depression because like sex eating can lead to instant gratification that lasts longer chips and soda every day may be terrible for your health but sometimes it's the only thing that makes you feel good ironically the food we typically turn to for comfort is the opposite of what we should be going for junk food has ingredients like sugar and various chemicals that activate the pleasure center of the brain but there also comes with it a crash that can tank your mood shortly after especially for things high in sugar meanwhile
healthy foods come with vitamins and minerals that Direct ly promote good mental health vitamin D for example is increasingly being discovered to be critical to mental health low levels of vitamin D is linked to several mental health disorders such as schizophrenia and Seasonal effective disorder as we get most of our Vitamin D from the sun it's easy to see why so many people today are lacking it if you're feeling depressed try getting some vitamin D and you via supplements drugs are another major coping mechanism and the truth is they work if you're feeling depressed you
can take a single pill and within 15 minutes all of your troubles have disappeared it's fast acting and it's highly effective but only for a fleeting moment the relief is short-lived the cost is high and it leads you nowhere drugs might make you feel better temporarily but as long as they're masking your depression true progress is impossible you'll find yourself trapped in a cycle where you need drugs to feel better because of the very drugs you're taking to feel better but it can be entirely too easy to pass judgment on others but for those fortunate
enough to have have never experienced this sort of depression it's crucial to understand that these coping mechanisms provide a temporary escape from the Relentless pain of depression nobody wants to be addicted to food sex or drugs in order to cope with their mental health which is why stigmatizing mocking or ridiculing them only adds to the problems the most severe type of depression is debilitating with the weight of the illness feeling completely overwhelming depression level four this is the most severe level of depression and it comes when the person hits Rock Bottom here the depression has
become unbearable to the point it's having a significant effect on job performance and personal relationships even holding down a career can feel impossible often reinforcing feelings of worthlessness and deepening the cycle of Despair interpersonal relationships can also crumble as the sheer effort to hold a normal conversation can become too much for someone this deeply depressed everyday conversations can feel completely innan and meaningless hearing about other people's lives often serves as a painful reminder of how disconnected they feel from living their own it can create deeply negative feelings for the conversation and maybe even the individual
behind it or it can all simply be completely unrelatable these individuals can feel completely out of pace with the world a feeling likely spurt on by even deeper isolation than at other kinds of depression you can feel like being a mannequin trapped behind the glass of a store window you watch the real world go by people living their lives while you are stuck changeless and disconnected stuck in a loop that feels like it might last forever like a wounded animal a deeply depressed individual May withdraw from social interactions entirely they often seek the safety and
comfort of their home or even just their bedroom as a protective cocoon they might spend weeks months or even years in this state and the depression can even affect basic things like media consumption some triggers can be so deeply painful that individuals will go to Great Lengths to avoid them entirely this might mean giving up entire genres of music movies books or even video games to escape the risk of encountering them wild shifts and preferences are often a good alarm Bell for anyone on the outside concerned about a loved one this intensity of depression is
most closely associated with self harm but individuals may not actually have those ideations at all overwhelmingly though there is a complete inability to picture A Better Tomorrow the odds of things improving is either so remote as to be impossible or actually impossible in the mind of the depressed individual imagine waking up each day with the certainty that nothing good will happen worse nothing that happens will make even the slightest dent in your depression every day is perfectly predictable because nothing can ever change anymore occasionally brief moments may push back against the overwhelming hopelessness but for
individuals who have experienced this for extended periods the countless times these hopeful moments sputtered out and failed can lead to them flat out rejecting the idea of Hope altogether in an attempt to not not be hurt by disappointment it can feel as if insulating yourself from Hope is a safer bet to avoid the pain the proposition of having to endure years or even decades like this until finding a natural death can be terrifying at this point life becomes about coping mechanisms and when those coping mechanisms fail it can come with dramatic mental health consequences the
good news is there is hope there are mental health resources available that can help that can listen local YMCAs and similar associations often offer in-house mental health counseling colleges and high schools typically have trained professionals who can support individuals dealing with depression doing Simple Things can make a big difference as well instead of ordering in food get dressed and go to the store yourself make it a habit to put on real clothes and physically run your errands stepping out of your depression shelter can do wonders for your mental health even small actions like getting dressed
in real clothes instead of pajamas can boost your mood and help you feel better about yourself like we mentioned vitamin D is increasingly being shown to be critical for mental health so consider picking up a supplement the biggest change you can make though is to Simply start editing your inner narration depression can poison our natural inner monologue and constantly reinforces negative ideas and thoughts Breaking Free from this trap is the key to moving forward there's a very legitimate reason to feel sorry for yourself if you're deeply depressed and nobody should make you feel like there
isn't however learning to identify and interrupt those inner negative narratives is crucial while it can feel cathartic to bemoan your troubles or complain reshaping your inner monologue is the first step toward reshaping how you view the world taming your self-speak and consciously choosing positivity even when it feels unnatural is the first step toward reshaping yourself it's also the only way to climb out of the deep hole that depression has created likewise Breaking Free of hermit-like habits will immediately improve your mental health even if you have to leave an event early simply re-entering the world and
being around others is a way to start hacking your own brain back to normal what do you think depression really feels like share your thoughts in the comments your story could help someone else feel less alone let's create a space where we can support and learn from each other now go check out what happens to your body when you start exercising or click this video instead
