Depression is a word that we hear with increasing frequency in news headlines and conversations around the water cooler. Depression, also known as major depressive disorder, is a mental disorder that can cause sadness, trouble sleeping, and problems with productivity. Symptoms usually first appear during late adolescence or early adulthood. Depression is thought to affect just over 10% of the US population.
Research shows that there is no single cause and that the disorder may have many symptoms. Some symptoms may be long-term, while others are clearly short-term. When it comes to depression, it’s important to get a diagnosis from a mental health professional.
Depression is a serious illness that affects more than 300 million people worldwide. It’s not just about feeling sad or frightened, but it can come with physical symptoms, such as changes in appetite and sleep patterns and the increased risk of heart problems. It’s not just sadness and hopelessness, though experiencing a dark mood can certainly feel like that. Depression affects our lives and relationships and can even affect physical health.
People living with depression face a difficult challenge: they need to function in day-to-day life, but depression fills their thoughts with pessimism, and hopelessness, impairing their cognitive ability and decreasing their physical health. Increasing your vagal tone is one strategy to boost your cognitive ability and general wellness. The activity of the vagus nerve is called vagal tone, and it can be enhanced with the use of a vagus nerve stimulator.
Depression is a very real mental illness that affects over a billion people worldwide, and it has strong links to dissociation. Dissociation is a psychological defense mechanism that allows the mind to disconnect from an unpleasant situation. As a result, the person experiencing this “state” often feels like they are floating outside themselves, watching this very real experience play out as if it were happening to someone else. People with a major depressive disorder are often hyper-vigilant and can become irritable, angry, and withdrawn, and are often described as being “in a world of their own.”
Dissociation is defined as a disconnect between someone’s conscious and unconscious thoughts and feelings. There are many theories as to how dissociation (aka depersonalization or “mental detachment”) develops. Commonly, it develops due to trauma, loss, and abuse. But what is more interesting is the idea that it can develop without negative events. In fact, it can develop for no apparent reason at all.
Dissociation is thought to be a response to a traumatic situation. By dissociation, we are not “going crazy.” All of us have experienced some traumatic event or event of a similar nature. It is our minds that are using dissociation to cope with the stress we are experiencing. When the dissociation is so strong, it leads to problems in other areas of our lives.
There are many potential causes of dissociation, but research shows that some have a strong genetic component. For example, if your family has a history of dissociation, or if you have a history of dissociation, you will likely experience dissociation in the future. There’s also the possibility of a mental illness such as a dissociative disorder that may cause you to dissociate.
If you’ve ever had a weird day, or you’ve been stuck in a bad place for a while, you may have experienced some form of dissociation. If your depression causes dissociation, here’s what to do when your depression causes dissociation. Let’s get started.
1. This is a difficult thing to talk about, but you may have heard that talking therapy/psychotherapy are currently the recommended treatments for disassociation. You can try this out by seeing a therapist experienced in this area so that they can help you with this problem.
Sometimes it’s hard to talk about your issues, even with a friend, but it’s especially hard when you have to tell a stranger. They may not be able to relate, or may not understand, or may not even believe you when you say things you don’t want to hear. But some people can help you. They may not be the ones you want to talk to, but they might understand.
2. Another thing that you can do when depression causes dissociation is to exercise. This can take your brain’s focus somewhere else and may even take the whole thing away from your thoughts.
3. The last is to practice self-care, this means matters such as better sleeping habits or reflecting on the way you think about yourself. If you are seeing a therapist they may be able to help you create a plan to better take care of yourself.