\u201cI\u2019m just having a bad day!\u201d<\/p>\n
You know those days when things don\u2019t seem to go right. Someone cut you off on your way to work, your boss tells you he needs a project done by noon and your inbox is flooded with emails. Everyone can relate to having a \u201cbad day.\u201d<\/p>\n
But what if one \u201cbad day\u201d turns into one \u201cbad week\u201d and then turns into a \u201cbad month\u201d or even a \u201cbad year\u201d?<\/p>\n
What seems like a \u201cbad day\u201d may turn out to be something more serious: depression. For many, unfamiliar with depression, it could seem like overkill to say a bad two or three weeks is depression related. The truth is that there are varying degrees of depression, with varying degrees of treatment.<\/p>\n
When it comes to depression, the first thing you need to do is to be honest with yourself about how you feel. It\u2019s easy to suppress emotions and try to continue living your life as if nothing is wrong. The unfortunate truth is there will come a time when you reach a breaking point. Since your problem is medically related, you will no longer be able to function as you have been accustomed. It\u2019s usually at that point when you realize that you need help.<\/p>\n
The biggest challenge with depression is realizing that you have it. If you don\u2019t watch for the symptoms you may not even know you have it and that can be just as dangerous. What are the symptoms of depression and how can you know if you have it? Here are a few symptoms to be on the lookout for.<\/p>\n
Everyone has days when they\u2019re not in a good mood, but when it lasts for weeks that is a very good sign that you may be struggling with depression.<\/p>\n
Depression can be a tough subject to talk about, but it\u2019s when you bring up the topic with your doctor and share what you\u2019re experiencing that you can learn the truth about what is really going on inside your body.<\/p>\n
As part of our comprehensive physical at Warner Family Practice, we conduct a questionnaire with each of our patients that provide insight on whether a patient may be dealing with depression. Our findings have allowed us to inform patients of the potential for depression to impact their health; our patients have been able to seek treatment before the condition becomes a serious problem.<\/p>\n
Treatment can come with a self-applied stigma that simply isn\u2019t true. Patients who take antidepressant medication report that their medication does not alter who they are, it simply allows for them to be a truer version of who they are.<\/p>\n
According to the Anxiety Disorders Association of America, 14.8 million people over the age of 18 are affected by depression every day. That is roughly 6.7% of the US population. If you feel you may be suffering with depression, you are definitely not alone.<\/p>\n