At what point can I no longer put my feelings of sadness to having a 'bad day'? I've been consistently down for about 4 months now and I just can't seem to get out of it. Am I depressed?
Posted By 
Johan Muller in Mind on
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This sounds like depression and can be exhausting if not addressed. Stress in any form does more harm to the body and emotional state and if not addressed can get out of control quickly and turn into a habit.
From personal experience I managed to implement these steps all which helped me climb out of the depression state:
(1) take care of yourself, get adequate rest, join Yoga and exercise daily (make time for it and make it a non negotiable),
(2) meditation, mindfulness and learning to 'breathe' through difficult times and how to quieten your mind.
(3) reduce oxidative stress in the body - Nrf2 technology via 'activation' at the cellular level can drastically assist with this. This 'activation' product, not a supplement but an activator, is proven to reduce the oxidative stress in the body by 40% within the first 30 days, allowing you to be calmer, sleep better, less stress and have more energy.
(4) take time for YOU, indulge and enjoy some ME time...good for the soul.
(5) practice gratitude, daily - this programs your brain to start thinking about those things that light the fire within and make you smile. Sometimes focusing on the negative things and those that we can't figure out and over analysing what's going on can cause us more disharmony - so start each day and end each day with writing down what you are grateful for. (I am grateful I reached out and posted this question on Blisspot)
(6) Positive affirmations - I feel amazing today, I am so happy I could explode, I am....
(7) surround yourself around positive people who get YOU and lift YOU up - avoid those that drag you down.
(8) Get yourself a copy of the 4 Agreements - wonderful teachings of learning to let go of negative thoughts, feelings and step into your own personal power - YOU can BEAT this feeling of sadness.
Helga Dalla on
Depression is when you consistently feel down and flat. If you have been feeling down for 4 months it is time to take control of your emotions and thoughts allowing you to tap into the joy of life again.
When I had depression I found that it was helpful to start to become more aware of my inner world, what I was actually thinking and feeling.
I learnt that my thoughts actually control my feelings. I discovered not to be afraid of my more difficult emotions and to validate them exactly as they are without judgement and let them pass. Ask yourself how you are feeling right now and let the feeling pass.
In the early stage of this process when my feelings where overwhelming I found it useful to talk to a counsellor. Finding a neutral sounding board can be a wonderful way to learn to understand how you really feel about things.
When you understand your feelings ask yourself what am I thinking right now. If they are thoughts that are making you feel bad or uncomfortable change those thoughts to ones that all you to feel peaceful and calm.
Lotte Barnes on
The general way to tell is:
You may be depressed if for more than two weeks, you've felt sad, down or miserable most of the time, or have lost interest or pleasure in usual things that you do.
This goes along with other signs like not going out anymore, drinking more than usual, feeling tired, not exercising like normal, feeling sad.
Thinking also changes and thoughts like "I couldn't be bothered", "I'm worthless" and related thoughts become more frequent.
Keeping a journal and noting down thoughts and feelings could be a good start to see how often you are feeling down.
Ross on
