Are YOU Depressed? — Real Therapist Explains!

Are you depressed? How do you know if you're depressed? Psychotherapist Georgia Dow explains what depression is and what it isn't.

🚨 DISCLAIMER: This video series is provided for informational purposes only and should not substitute for a personal consultation with a professional.

🎙 Check out Georgia's @Apple Talk podcast with @Rene Ritchie :

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🙏 Thanks for watching, see you next video!

[ixarizskye]

You know, Doc? Your optimism seems to be rubbing off and I'm someone who is going through self identity and self discovery. For someone who doesn't have the money or the privilege to act on my psyche, this helps. Thank you for making these videos.

[mx]

I like the idea of hibernation because I refer to my depression as Cave time and in stead of fighting it I now embrace it and I let family and friends know that I am having some cave time and won't be interacting with them for a while. This gave me an opportunity to no longer feel guilty when depressed and I can use those times to take care of myself by doing very little to nothing, which is ok.

[llcn]

Please do a video on how loved ones can support someone with anxiety and or depression. Especially supporting someone who pushes people away when they have a depressive episode. Love your videos!

[terry]

As someone who has had 4 bad episodes of depression, the thing that annoys me, when people say pull yourself together!

[Ironoclasty]

My Dysthymia is currently in high school (about 16 years old). I've always described depression as though there's a bathroom scale that sends the needle up on one side when something good happens and down the other way when something bad happens, but it's been adjusted into the negative. So if something good happens you might go up to 0 and not feel bad for a while, but my baseline is in the "sadness" range. Being "mildly depressed" is like being "mildly on fire." Fortunately, there's your videos. :)

[adamwhite]

Just though my own journey with my depression and talking with my own therapist, there's she has said some of same things that you said. One of the hardest things I've done was opening up and telling my wife I wasn't okay (she already knew this, but didn't press the issue) I thought that she would look at me as being broken. But it was the opposite she has been extremely supportive and when I do have days where I can't shake it she's there

[yamisarts]

I... Honestly don't know if I have depression. Everything I've looked at suggests I have at least a few symptoms. What really goes on with me is that my emotions are very dulled. Even when I seem or look happy, excited, or even angry, inside I feel nothing. I feel pangs, like dulled pangs. I know when I'm excited, my adrenaline starts rushing. I'm happy because I feel at least a little warmer, but what I feel the most is this crushing feeling in my chest constantly. I want to cry, I want to just sleep. That's not the end of it, either. My brain constantly bullies me, telling me I'm worthless, useless. So I draw and sleep because it helps dull it. I can't keep up with chores, I can't keep up with life. Days blur together a lot. My mind never focuses, it's always either bullying me, or it's literally playing a freaking movie complete with a soundtrack, voicing, everything you can think of, but... I don't know if I can even call that depression... Is it..?

Edit: I forgot to add a bit more, lol.
That's something I constantly do, is forget. It's not just walking out if a room and forgetting, it's kind of worse than that. I start one project, somebody tells me to do another, so I go do that, forget about the previous project, then when I'm told to do a third thing, I drop everything and rush to get that done too, but by the time I'm done... I've already forgotten about the previous other two things, which gets me yelled at a lot. I struggle with completing or starting things, and when I want to do something big, I get conflicted, and I just sit and watch TV. I also apologize constantly. This has been going on for as long as I can remember. What happened was when I was 5, mom met a man, and that man assaulted me for 8 years. Mom didn't know anything until I told her 8years later when she kicked the guy out, because he was abusive, and wouldn't help mom in any way. So, because of this, I locked myself in my room, 24/7, only coming out to go to school, or eat dinner, or go to the grocery store. Mom had to force me outside. I starved myself. I never went to the bathroom until mom came home. I never went out to drink anything unless he wasn't in the house. When he would sit outside, I would sneak bites of peanut butter and other small stuff, drinking mom's creamers straight out of the bottle, mouthfuls of sink water, and other stuff because I was scared.

I hope this sheds a little light on why I'm like the way I am, but I don't know.

I'm 19 now and I've never tried to even go to someone to see what was wrong with me. He's in prison but he still haunts me, I remember what he did to me, what he said to me, how he did it, everything.

And yet I can't remember what I had for dinner yesterday

[Chimpur]

What you described here is how I've felt through a few times where I've had a major sickness and been off work about three months at a time. They days blend together into one long dull grey period. Then slowly; I get better, get interested in things, people, etc and I can start going back to my normal self! 

I would often tell myself to not give up and that one day; maybe tomorrow, I will feel better. I will get through this! And I always have!

[omegachaos]

[TRIGGER WARNING: Suicidal Ideation] I'm basically feeding the algorithm at this point, but for this topic, I have lots of experience. I'm in my mid 30's and was only recently clinically diagnosed with clinical depression (though I've assumed for a long time). I can actually point to the part of my life when I first started feeling the feelings I've lived with since. I was a child at the time, and I dealt with being called worthless by peers at school and then by my step father at home each day. It really devastated my brain and I've dealt with suicidal thoughts since I was about 9 or 10.

Before I started therapy about 5 months ago, I had suicidal thoughts every 2 days or so each week. Not explicit (most of the time), but just I wish I could just go to sleep and never wake up. I always talk bad to myself and show as much compassion as I can for those around me and try to empathize with their situations. Basically, I'm my harshest critic. I've gone through lots of rejection and was in a toxic relationship for a few years because I felt I had no other option. In my alone time, throughout all these years, I largely had two major feelings. Overwhelming sadness and hopelessness or complete indifference and no interest in anything.

I still have a hard time motivating myself to do basic things, although the meds I'm now on have largely helped satiate my mood. At this point, I'm using therapy to try to do the normal stuff, like eating, getting up on my days off and actually motivating myself to exist. The negative self talk has largely diminished, and I can't even describe how it feels to type this (alright, I'm tearing up a little).

Sorry for the long comment, but I want to finish by saying I hope those that also suffer from clinical depression and other conditions are able to get the help they need. I won't get political in a mental health channel, but I hope you have basic resources to at least start taking control if you suffer from this or other things.

Thank you Georgia for these videos and encouragement. I wish I found your channel earlier, but I am excited to see more of your content and how you explain these mental health conditions for regular viewers that may or may not have experience!

[kalebsmith]

The loneliness of depression just cannot be understated. It causes you to feel like no one cares, your surrounded by people who love you but your just wasting there time and no one can help you anyways. But that's just not true. Thank you for talking about this and showing people that you can pull yourself out of it even when it feels impossible. It's one step at a time.

[Noffilus]

I've been diagnosed with BPD with depression, OCD and social anxiety. And as she said, even getting out of bed can be a drag. This week is a good example for me, I skipped almost all of my uni classes this week (except Monday) because I couldn't get out of bed. I keep wanting to do things e.g. study, pick up my hobbies again (art, cello etc.), but never get myself to do it. I'm so tired of this viscous cycle that seems to have no end... I feel like this is starting to take over and control my life and I feel like I'm just a spectator on the sideline watching, while not being able to do anything/interfere. Any advice?

[ZAKtalksTECH]

I went through a really bad stretch back in August. Luckily I had a few good friends constantly checking up on me. I went to some dark places and almost made a bad choice.

Thanks Georgia. I'm really enjoying these.

[fryke]

Most of the unhelpful comments many people with depression get stem from the fact that the terms "depressed" and "depression" have been used colloquially as just meaning "a bit sad lately". Maybe we need a good memeable term for what people actually mean when they (ab)use the terms.

[MattandXander]

Well done Georgia, best one yet. We’re seeing a lot of people suffering from depression right now. Midwest LEO

[RichBriere]

I lived half my Life Depression Free and then I experienced a Stroke. Immediately following that I began my adventures with Depression and even more fun, Panic Attacks. Anxiety was soon to follow. My life changed completely and it was with the help of an incredible Psychotherapist that I learned how best to deal with "The Trio" I'd been dealt. Thanks so much for what you do. 🍎 🙏

[jonathanpalma]

I have had depression caused as a secondary effect from pills to treat migraines. For me understanding where the depression was coming from removed like 90% of the weight and from there I was able to move on and change my treatment but unfortunately I still get depressed once in a while. I love your personality, people like you that are happy and smiling most of the time bring joy to people like me

[germanyxx]

How to know that someone is a great therapist?
2:12 - 2:35 THIS!
You recognize that as a gift - wow
Thank you for making these kinds of videos

[Ryprovis]

dealing with a major depressive disorder, it's not so much hopelessness; it's more....nothingness. a void surrounds you that nullifies and sucks in everything before it has a chance to get to you. so you get to see good things coming but right before you get to "experience" it, you get to see it violently destroyed and sucked into this every-hungry void. it sucks. really sucks. thank you for not villainizing me. I wanna get better, just sometimes...you can't. so, thank you.

[PeterLundblad_life]

love that you started this channel! Mental health has become an important focus for me in the last 4 years. Keep it up 🤘🏼

[kwasib-r]

I'm so glad I found this video. I went through a barrage of large negative life altering events. I was able to cope fine through most of it by sticking to my art hobby but at some point after everything calmed down it all hit me like a truck. Low motivation, low desire to do anything, loss of joy in things I once liked, lost my love for art. Life just felt like a chore. I'm seeing a councillor now which is good. But when I'm not seeing them and I'm just left alone with my feelings that I struggle control sometimes I feel utterly hopeless. I don't know if it is depression. I haven't got an official diagnosis but knowing that it can get better makes me want to keep trying. I enjoy art again (on and off which is better than never)