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’ve gone through the same stuff. I have no friends or anyone who understands. My three children keep me going. I’m on zoloft now and it helps, along with ambien for sleep. When I’m not depressed, I really love life, and am a go-getter, but then all it takes is something negative to happen, usually a negative person and I spiral down from there. It can take weeks, even a couple of months before I ‘snap’ outta it.
I can totally relate. It’s amazing how much I can accomplish when I am feeling good, but it never seems to last for very long.
thanks for sharing. I have never suffered from depression, but I have family members who have and I know how hard it is to realize you need help!
Thanks for sharing your own journey. I went through postpartum depression and some depression even after that. It is very hard to determine what is normal once you’ve been through it and I also find myself doing a “self-check” periodically because I think it would be easy for me to miss the signs.
I sometimes suffer from minor bouts of depression! Your right though it can be hard to remember what makes life worth it when you are feeling so down! Thanks for the reminder!
Depression is something I just can’t seem to get away from. What I hate the most is when I’m having a down day and I get asked, “Did you take your medicine today?”
I find questions like that to be very intrusive. I think a lot of people just don’t understand.
is there such a thing as normal? especially with half the population on some sort of mood medication….Meh.
Depression is very prevalent in my family, so I’ve seen my loved ones suffer first hand. Such a hard thing to deal with.
Luckily, following the birth of my kids PPD didn’t set in. I was prepared for it, knowing it could happen. I think my normal is pretty balanced and stable, but there have been times in my life when my normal was definitely more high/low.
It’s so good to be aware like that and know to look our for signs of trouble. Highs and lows are definitely the norm for me right now.
Wow- that is a great question- what is normal and how do we know if we’ve achieved it. Like someone said maybe having depression/OCD and anxiety is my normal but wouldn’t it be nice to see what it feels like to not have to worry about this!
I’ve dealt with depression for a substantial amount of time now and it did get to a very low point (more than a few times), which lasted a very long time. What made things worse for me was depression triggered severe anxiety, and I mean it felt “out of the blue”. I became very panicked, very withdrawn from people (mind you, prior to depression I was a very social person). I did not want to get on any prescribed medication, so I decided to find natural ways of coping, using a few supplements to my diet. I found that Reishi extract helped, though is too expensive to take on an every day basis, Holy Basil is very good and Fermented Fish Oil (I’ve heard about Krill but haven’t tried that one). You will need Vitamin D too but I get that from my Fish Oil. What I’ve just listed do have have any adverse reactions if you’re already taking prescribed medication.
I have to say that it’s made me feel like I can get on with my day and it’s not nearly a struggle as before. What I’ve listed was not a cure for the majority of people..In my opinion..I think the problem can be a shift in hormones, poor diet, or even what you would think is a semi-traumatic experience can trigger old insecurities or that you thought you buried. Sometimes we contribute to our depression by becoming increasingly lazy, that stagnation can place the mind in a negative space (I found this to be a factor in my own depression, as well as the next line) Don’t forget to nurture your own spirit..if you don’t heal your wounds..they’ll just fester. Good luck to everyone and I wish for you all a peace of mind.
Thanks so much for your thoughtful comment Elle. I am glad to hear you have had some relief using natural treatments. It is something that I definitely need to investigate further.
Ooops..I meant to say that the supplements listed DO NOT HAVE ANY ADVERSE reactions to medication if you’re already taking them. *Though please do your research before following anyones advice.*