A depressive mood goes hand in hand with dejection and listlessness. But how does the depth of soul arise – and what can you do about it?
What is a depressive mood?
Nobody can only be happy all the time – everyone has phases in which they feel tired, exhausted and sad and would like to withdraw. The good news in advance: Such a depressive mood is often tied to a specific occasion and disappears by itself over time. A slight depression is usually over after a week or two, a more pronounced depressive mood, for example due to the loss of a loved one, can last for several months. Many people also suffer from winter depression regularly in the fall and winter.
Bad mood? Typical symptoms of the depression of the soul
If you are depressed, you can various physical and mental symptoms occur:
Reading tip: Depression symptoms, how to treat depression and what exhaustion depression is, we reveal here.
Causes of a depressed mood
A mental upset can various causes to have. These include:
- Sadness
- stress
- Anger (private or at work)
- Medication (side effects)
- Fluctuations in hormones (e.g. during pregnancy)
- Trauma (physical and mental)
- Various neurological diseases (e.g. Parkinson's or dementia)
- Various metabolic diseases (e.g. hypothyroidism)
What helps against a depressive mood
With a lighter soul depression, people affected often still feel a little joy in things that otherwise make them happy – For example, the weekly meeting with your best friend, time for your favorite hobby, sport and the like. Consultations with a therapist can also help. The important thing is to take time for yourself and do what you want.
From the depressive mood to depression
Often the transitions from low mood to solid depression are fluid. Those affected are extremely sad and depressed and cannot break free of their dreary thoughts even for months. Usually a decisive life event in life is the cause, for example death or a separation. But it is not always possible to determine an exact trigger – there are also cases in which the depression can be traced back to a long-ago event or previous mental illness. In addition to the symptoms already mentioned, the following symptoms are very noticeable in those affected:
- No joy is felt for a long time
- Most of all, you don't want to get out of bed
- Even what you used to enjoy doing is suddenly exhausting
Anyone who notices such symptoms should urgently consult a doctor – the sooner depression is recognized, the better the treatment will work. Depending on the severity of the depression, psychotherapy is necessary, and some patients are also dependent on drugs such as antidepressants.