The Emotional Experience of Depression: What Does It Really Feel Like?

You might hear the term ‘depression’ and automatically make some assumptions about the illness, or what a person with depression is feeling.

And while it may feel like sadness or hopelessness for a large majority of sufferers, depression is more complex than that.

So, what does depression really feel like?

Medmate delves into the emotional experience of depression, helping to better understand the mood disorder. If you or someone you know is experiencing depression, Australia’s telehealth specialists at Medmate can help get the right treatment:

Depression explained

It’s normal to feel sad or down sometimes, but depression is when those feelings are felt most of the time for a period of more than 2 weeks. Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest, changes to regular behaviour as well as physical symptoms. People with depression may experience difficulty doing normal day-to-day activities, and sometimes may not feel like life is worth living.

The different emotions experienced during depression

While depression may cause you to feel sad, hopeless or miserable, there are other feelings that are important to consider when recognising depression. These include:

Anger and irritability

Anger and frustration is commonly experienced in men with depression. Sudden outbursts of anger and having a short fuse is a symptom to look out for in men.

Guilt

Many people feel guilty about their depression. It’s common for people with depression to feel as though they’re weak or unworthy, which leads to feelings of guilt and intensifies the depression.

Indecisiveness

Depression can make people indecisive and overwhelmed, even when presented with simple tasks. Depression inhibits clear judgement and decision making, resulting in a feeling of being overwhelmed.

Physical symptoms

Depression is linked to several physical symptoms such as difficulty sleeping and/or tiredness, feeling run down or sick, and an increase or decrease of appetite, with or without weight gain. Headaches, muscle pain (like back and neck pain) and nausea are other symptoms associated with depression.

Getting treated for depression

In Australia, we have excellent access to treatment for mental illnesses like depression. Treatment for depression includes therapy such as cognitive behaviour therapy, medication, and lifestyle changes. Medmate can help you get treated for depression, getting your mental health back on track and allowing you to feel your normal self again.

How to get help for depression with Medmate

The complex mix of emotions experienced during depression can be different for everyone, but getting treatment looks very similar for most cases. It starts with a consult with Australia’s telehealth specialists at Medmate. Offering non-judgemental, expert mental health care from the comfort of your home, our doctors and online psychologists are committed to helping you get better.

Book a consult with our experienced team today and start your journey towards better mental health.