Who would have thought that Newton's First Law of Physics was going to be useful in helping to understand the cycle of depression? But his Law of Inertia is often a good way to comprehend how depression can take hold of us. Depression uses two ways to keep us in it's grip. One is through isolation; it likes to isolate us from the activities we like to enjoy and the people we like to spend time with. The second way is that depression kills effort; we often feel a change in

When we begin to explore loneliness more closely, we can also recognize its close relationship to depression. But what comes first - depression or loneliness? Well, I suppose that it depends. :) We are a relationship species and seek connection in order to feel secure and safe. This doesn't always mean an intimate partner; however, living without someone to share life with can often increase the amount of time we may have to battle the blues. When we seek solitude, that feel

CAMH (The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health) has created two videos to help adolescents better understand depression. Meant specifically for young people, the first video talks about what depression looks like, what are it's potential causes and what teens can do to recognize and then treat the symptoms. To watch or share Mood Matters: Describing Depression : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xONySz9XLk The second featured video is called Mood Matters: How Food, Movement

Alcohol and marijuana are depressants . As much as we want to lean into the argument that having a glass of wine relaxes us or that marijuana has beneficial effects, it can't take away the fact that both alcohol and marijuana depress the brain . Seems pretty counter intuitive when dealing with depression doesn't it? Unfortunately, self-medicating is not going to get you well; you are much better served to talk to your doctor about medication therapy, seek counselling, and ge

Chronic pain can result in depression. Actually, so can having a chronic condition. Sometimes we don't realize how being in continual discomfort can cause us to become depressed. We may choose to stay home one day due to increased pain levels; heightening the isolation factor. We may have to cancel plans because we are experiencing a flare up; leading to feelings of discouragement and disappointment. Potentially, we become so focused on what our physical bodies are putting u

Persistent irritability can be a symptom of depression. Typically when we think of depression we tend to consider first the classic symptoms of depression such as low mood and motivation, changes to our sleeping and eating habits, etc., yet irritability can be an indication that you are depressed; especially if it is persistent.  This can be especially true for men, who may not show the visible signs of emotion linked to depression; the same goes for children or adolescents

Depression is sometimes experienced as anxiety . Because depression and anxiety share the same biological basis, people often can experience symptoms and not be entirely sure of the direct cause. Feeling nervous and irritable for example, can lead one to thinking they may have anxiety, but those are common in depression as well. Lack of concentration and difficulty sleeping can also indicate depression; very often if what we associate to depression (sleeping all the time and

A website recently came to my attention. It is called Big White Wall and it is an online peer support and self-management tool for youth 16+ and adults experiencing mild to moderate depression and anxiety. What I really liked about it was that it is available around the clock, it is anonymous, and is staffed by "Wall Guides" who make sure the community is safe and supportive. They have a section where you can post questions and get feedback, a creative section where you can p

Depression makes it hard to give. I often see clients who come into therapy because they live with a person who is struggling with depression and they are looking for ways to cope. One of the things that is quite common to hear is their perspective that their loved one "doesn't contribute very much" which in turn places a greater weight on them to manage the household and family. And, as sympathetic as they attempt to be, resentment eventually plays a role in the dynamic bet