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Are You Blue Too? 
[Article
Index]
Pat Andrus, MS
A Comforting Voice
The holiday tissue
is tucked away and Santaās supplies are priced at half their earlier
value. The rush is over. Thereās now time to kick back and reflect
on the past weeks. A smile may tease the mouths of some, but certainly
not all of us. Many of us have plummeted downhill on the emotional
roller coaster we ride. Perhaps weāve even attempted to ignore our
feelings of being down and it just hasnāt worked. We just canāt seem
to bounce back. We feel depressed and may view life with hopelessness.
Like the Christmas decorations now on sale, are we devaluing our emotions
by not recognizing how important they are? Maybe our friends, family
and employers are giving us the message that we just have to forget
the past holiday season and move on. By ignoring our honest feelings
we risk our mental health. We secure a healthy state of mind by recognizing
the difference in a "blue mood" and the disabling illness called depression.
As humans we experience occasional periods of being sad or "down."
The term depressed is often used to express these short negative
swings in our moods. But true depression is a much more serious
and complex illness which affects about ten million Americans, many
of whom never seek treatment. For clinically depressed persons,
life may feel like torture. Life may also seem torturous for family
members as they attempt to support the depressed person.
One of the major differences here is the persistence
of the depressed mood. Normal "blue" feelings tend to fade away over
a relatively short time frame of a few weeks. Deeper depressions may
last weeks, months and years, requiring medical attention.
Depression is a recognized part of grieving. Yet, grief and clinical
depression are not really the same. The trauma of a loss, major life
change, or death may result in depressed moods over a longer period
of time. But the grieving person responds to comfort and support,
generally finds life improves gradually over time, and can still identify
pleasurable moments in life. The depression associated with grief
tends to be more focused around an event like a death, which leads
to the depressions. Deeper depression is broader in scope.
In normal grief, the mourner can exhibit feelings of sadness associated
with the loss. A more generalized sense of hopelessness, doom, and
emptiness is symptomatic of deeper depression as these person find
themselves unable to express their emotions even in private moments.
For depressed persons, even getting out of bed daily may seem impossible.
The illness of depression affects the whole person in body, mind,
moods, thought, and behaviors. Bereaved persons need to be aware
of these relationships since prolonged or avoided grief may be symptoms
of other problems.
If unsure whether the depression needs treatment, talking with
a trusted friend, clergyman, physician, grief counselor, or a professional
counselor can help a person determine their own needs. Since being
depressed is not a sign of personal weakness, accepting help from
others is useful in becoming more objective. Ignoring the situation
will likely increase the problem. Getting medical and professional
help can result in successful treatment.
Depression cannot just be wished away. In mild forms like "blue
moods," keeping busy, setting small goals, listing priorities, thinking
positive thoughts, getting involved with a project, planting spring
bulbs in windowsill pots, volunteering, and scheduling pleasurable
activities can help a person. Talking, writing in a notebook, meditating,
and exercising lightly are useful tools to lift us out of a "blue"
state. Going to a movie, telephoning a friend, writing a letter,
and other activities help to distract us for a period of time, thus
giving us a new outlook on life.
Most importantly, a person must give himself time
to heal and the resources with which to accomplish it. Realizing we
may need help to move through a depressed state can increase our sense
of self control. Sensing ourselves in control can help us feel less
depressed. Acknowledging our self-control increases the value we place
on our emotions. As the last present we give for the passing season,
lifting our blues by increasing our self-esteem is quite a gift.
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