Depressed

Depression lowers one’s motivation levels, darkens one’s memory and vision, and saps one’s energy.

“What’s the point? No matter what I do, things don’t work out. My marriage, my kids, my business — nothing’s working. Talking to a therapist isn’t going to fix that, and I don’t believe that taking some pill is going to make things all rosy. So no, I don’t want any help, thanks.”

In cases of mild depression — and particularly in mild, chronic depression — a person might just get used to the way they feel. “I can’t be bothered. It’s good that I work at home because I don’t have to get dressed, put on makeup, and all that stuff. I’m not in the mood for ‘putting on a happy face.’ My energy is really low. Honestly, I have no enthusiasm for anything.”

While everyone has occasional low moods, depression is an illness that affects the entire body and mind. Symptoms vary in type and intensity, yielding different diagnostic varieties of the illness. Physical aches and pains, lethargy, loss of appetite, excessive appetite, inability to sleep, excessive sleepiness, difficulty concentrating, feelings of hopelessness, despair, low self-worth or guilt, agitation, and other changes in mood and physical functioning, occur in groups of five or more when forming part of a diagnosis.