If you’ve ever suffered from depression, you might have found yourself at some point wondering what normal feels like. After being depressed for a while it can be difficult to remember.
A clinical approach to gauge normal is by using a check list similar to those a Psychiatrist would use to evaluate your mood. Some of the questions might include:
How are you sleeping?
How is your appetite?
Are you able to concentrate and do things like read a book?
What is your energy level?
Do you have any motivation?
I think normal holds a different feeling for everyone. For you normal might simply be that you are free from depression and anxiety. Keeping a mood journal may help determine your normal.
I have friends who have suffered from Postpartum Depression and have gone back to their ‘normal’ after a few months. Some of us have not felt normal in such a long time that we forget that feeling. You might be going along just fine then”Wham!” you get knocked on your butt.
So I find myself wondering what does normal feel like? Are ups and downs just a normal part of life? My normal will never be the same as someone else. After all, no other person has experienced exactly what I have, nor has the same chemical make-up as me. We’re all unique.
What does your normal feel like?
i have always suffered from depression so sadly i dont know what “normal” feels like but im not sure anyone ever does…
Thank you for sharing this post! I have had problems with depression in my life also! I know that there a lot of other women that have had to deal with depression. A lot of depression for women can be because we are supposed to be the ones who do all the work at home! Taking care of everyone’s needs on a daily basis is exhausting a tiring. Mother’s, single mothers, single women, older women need to have some type of support in order to deal with the daily tasks of helping others. This can take a toll , and at times we do need to get ourselves help!
Thanks for your thoughtful comment Julie. It is nice knowing that I am not alone in this.
Physical symptoms, such as pain or chronic pain can have an adverse effect on a persons’ well-being.
It’s great to see depression more talked about than in the past. it is difficult as depression looks different with different people. Thanks for sharing
Once a person has become depressed (clinically) it can become very difficult to know what “normal” means to anybody, least of all themselves. If you are prone to depression, it may help to have someone close to you keep an additional checklist to help prevent a clinical depression.
Fabulous suggestion!