The alarm rings and the thought of facing another day evokes dread. You pull the covers thinking today you will stay home, but within a few minutes you are staring at yourself in the bathroom mirror with bitter acceptance that you need to do what you need to do. You wonder how nobody ever notices your feelings, perhaps it is the relentless productivity, the gallows humor or just the plain avoidance of ever acknowledging your sense of being overwhelmed, hopeless and empty. Depression has been described as a loss of love for self, others and the world. It can be triggered by any number of difficult experiences but depression then takes on a subterranean life of its own. At the surface, for some depression may be no more than a few ripples: quickness to anger, perfectionism or a self-deprecating wit. Others treat their hurt with isolation, substance abuse and self harm. Below is an inner monologue of self-recrimination, indifference and dwindling belief that things could ever get better.

The cure is simple: meaningful connection with others, adequate sleep and exercise. The problem is depression makes even reaching out for a cure too much of an effort. It’s as much use as telling someone with depression to “get over it” as giving a cat a ring-pull tin of sardines. As Hieronymus, Emilsson, Nilsson and Eriksson’s 2015 research demonstrates, anti-depressants are effective in decreasing depression and can be obtained from a primary care doctor. For most, a combination of therapy and medication will prove most beneficial, as recovery is as much about relationship, understanding and coping skills as brain chemistry. As for those who prefer to avoid medication, no one therapy will work for all. Though research indicates the pre-eminence of the working relationship in all therapies, no 2 people have the same story and helping rewrite yours may take challenging unhelpful thoughts, recognizing unhelpful patterns of behavior, taking part in pleasant activities, problem solving, experiencing the emotion connected to an experience or learning to ask for help. All these solutions reflect a different approach to feeling better. Arrange a consultation with a therapist to learn more about the choices you have for care.