The Quiet Struggle: How Depression Impacts Your Quality of Life

Depression isn’t a passing blue mood or a general lack of motivation in life. It’s a real mental illness that can make simple tasks feel impossible and overwhelming. Depression is one of the leading causes of disability in the world – not just because it diminishes your ability to get through daily life but to enjoy it.

Some people with depression may feel mostly sad or down, while others may feel anxious and restless. You might feel irritable all the time, or maybe nothing at all – a numbness that makes every day seem meaningless and unimportant.

While depression manifests in so many different ways for everyone, there are some common threads. For many people, depression is a quiet struggle, impacting their quality of life in ways that may not be apparent to themselves or others at first.

But as its symptoms evolve or contribute to others, over time, depression can cause significant problems in your life, impairing your ability to work, socialize, or take care of yourself.

Depression Looks Different on Everyone

Depression can manifest physically, often causing aches and pains, difficulty sleeping, changes in weight and appetite, and digestive problems. For some, what starts as low energy levels evolves to fatigue, which doesn’t only impact the body but the ability to remember things, focus, and make decisions.

Some days it may feel like you’re waging war against yourself, and it isn’t easy to see how it will ever end. It’s not always just sadness that you’re experiencing, though that is a large part of it. It’s a blackness that coats your thoughts and feelings, making them hard to bear.

It’s precisely this feeling that many people with depression experience when trying to explain what life is like when you’re in the throes of it. That, mixed with the frustration of trying to understand what’s going on inside your mind and body, where it came from, and how to manage it.

With varying signs and symptoms from person to person and differing levels of severity, depression is no uniform illness. Regardless, there is nothing about depression that makes you want to get up and fight for your happiness and wellbeing. After all, you may struggle just to get out of bed most days. Some days you may feel zero motivation to prioritize your mental health, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Depression symptoms can be unpredictable yet constant, but depression is not irreparable.

Reach Out For Depression Support With IOP

Nearly 1 in 5 Americans will struggle with a mental health disorder in their lifetime. Untreated mental health disorders can present ongoing obstacles that hold people back from thriving in life. If you or someone you love is suffering from symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress, PTSD, fatigue, or general overwhelm, it’s vital to reach out for support. The good news is that you can break through these challenges that are holding you back! Our Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) can help you experience relief and renewal so you can live your best life.

So, if you’re feeling exhausted after trying all of the “self-help” remedies online, give our team a call. Booking an appointment at New U Therapy Center & Family Services can be the fresh start that you need to start the new year off with renewed mental wellness.