Depression can feel like it takes over everything: your energy, your thoughts, your motivation, and your core sense of identity. Have you been wondering how to deal with depression, how to get out of depression, or whether things will ever feel different?
If so, you’re not alone. Many people struggle with these questions.
Understanding what depression is and why it happens can make it feel a little more manageable and a little less isolating. Here we offer some facts about depression, why it’s different from sadness, and practical ways to deal with depression.
What You’ll Learn
- How do you know if it’s depression or sadness?
- What causes depression?
- How can you cope day to day with depression?
- When should you seek help for depression?
Quick Read
Depression can feel overwhelming, affecting your energy, motivation, and sense of self in ways that make even small tasks feel difficult. It’s persistent, often without a clear cause, and can impact nearly every area of life.
Typically, depression develops from a mix of biological, psychological, and environmental factors. Support and coping strategies can help. Small steps like staying connected to others, getting brief exposure to light or nature, and using simple coping tools can make things feel more manageable.
Recovery from depression isn’t immediate or linear, but it is possible. If symptoms last more than a few weeks or begin to interfere with daily life, reaching out for professional support can be an important step toward feeling better.
Understanding the Facts on Depression
Depression is the leading cause of disability in the U.S. for people ages 15 to 44. Millions of adults and young adults experience depressive symptoms each year, ranging from mild and manageable to severe and debilitating.
Nearly 10 percent of all US adults experience at least one major depressive episode per year, but the risks are higher for certain demographics.
Here are more facts about depression:
- The most vulnerable age range is 18–25, with about 1 in 5 young people struggling with depression.
- Women and people assigned female at birth are almost twice as likely to have experienced major depressive episodes as men.
- Major depression affects people with multiple (two or more) races, particularly black or indigenous people, at a much higher rate than white people.
- Depression is more common among members of the LGBTQ+ population.
What Does Depression Feel Like?
Depression impacts everything about your life, including energy, self-worth, motivation, sleep, relationships, concentration, work, school, and daily functioning. This mental health challenge makes it feel like you have nothing left to give, and can chip away at your sense of self-worth and value.
As a result, depression can increase the risk of self-harm, suicidal thoughts and behaviors, and substance use. That’s why it’s so important to get help for depression.
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of self-harm, suicide, or overwhelming hopelessness, reach out for help immediately.
- Call or text the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.
- Seek emergency mental health support at your closest ER.
- Contact PrairieCare’s emergency psychiatric care program at 952-826-8424 for immediate access to hospital stabilization.
Depression vs. Sadness
It’s common to wonder whether what you’re experiencing is sadness or something more, like depression symptoms. Here’s how the two compare.
| Sadness | Depression | |
| Duration | Tends to come and go, or may last for a while and then fade away | Lasts for more than three weeks |
| Cause | Usually associated with a specific situation, such as a breakup, loss, or stressful life event | May show up without a clear reason; caused by a combination of biological, psychological, social, and environmental influences |
| Severity | Can feel emotionally and physically intense at times | Can feel constant, heavy, and all-encompassing |
| Ability to Function | In most cases, doesn’t fully disrupt your ability to function in daily life | Can be compromised— small tasks start to feel overwhelming, you can’t get out of bed or take a shower, etc. |
Can You Have Depression with Other Mental Health Challenges?
Depression overlaps with many other mental health conditions, including:
- PTSD and trauma
- Anxiety disorders
- Grief and loss
- Substance use
- ADHD and autism
- Bipolar disorder
Depression is also very common among people experiencing hormonal challenges, perimenopause, menopause, and those in varying pregnancy or postpartum stages. Many people in these groups don’t receive the healthcare they deserve because of cultural stigmas, biases, and racial and gender gaps in access to quality healthcare.
What Causes Depression?
Depression isn’t caused by one single factor. It’s biopsychosocial, meaning it develops through a combination of biological, psychological, social, and environmental influences.
Some common contributing factors include:
- Genetics and family history
- Hormonal changes or imbalances
- Certain medications
- Chronic stress or burnout
- Chronic pain or illness
- Lack of social support, connection, or sense of belonging
- Difficult family, peer, or relationship dynamics
- Trauma or PTSD
- Neurodivergence, such as ADHD or autism
- Substance use
- Feeling disconnected from your identity, values, or sense of purpose
- The cumulative emotional impact of living in a high-stress world
Figuring out the unique underlying causes of depression can help you find proper treatment that addresses your comprehensive humanity and lived experience.
9 Tips on How to Cope with Depression
Trying to figure out how to cope with depression can feel impossible. Depression makes it seem impossible to do the very things that can help. Low energy, shame, numbness, and hopelessness can make even basic tasks feel overwhelming.
Some days, coping with depression means just getting through the day, minute by minute. This can be exhausting, frustrating, and demoralizing. Here are some tips for dealing with that inner battle.
1. Lower the Bar
If you’re reading this, you probably already know you can’t force your way out of depression through desire or willpower.
One of the best ways to minimize shame spirals is to consciously lower your expectations. If possible:
- Ask for flexibility at work or school
- Reduce your commitments
- Let go of non-essential responsibilities
- Adjust what a “productive day” looks like
Your capacity is different right now, and that’s okay. It’s not a character flaw or a failure on your part. It’s a reality of depression.
2. Don’t Try to Force Yourself to Feel Better
Trying to push yourself into feeling hopeful when you aren’t can actually backfire. Instead, allow the experience to be less than positive. Acknowledge that this is hard, and it’s going to take time to change.
When you remove the pressure to feel better immediately, you might also reduce the added layers of frustration, shame, and self-criticism that often make depression worse.
3. Talk to Friends
Depression isolates you, but connection is one of the most protective factors for mental health. Shame grows in secrecy, and talking to your people helps.
It can be easier to have vulnerable conversations with trusted friends and loved ones when you’re in an easier moment. So at times when you’re feeling better, tell your loved ones what you’re going through. And when you’re struggling, be honest about it and let people show up for you.
4. Go Outside (In the Smallest Ways Possible)
You already know you’re “supposed” to exercise. But sometimes even a walk around the block can feel inaccessible. When this is the case, try lying down outside in some grass or sitting by a window with your face in the sun.
If possible, go somewhere with birds, trees, running water, or other calming environments. Even brief exposure to natural light and soothing sensory input can support your nervous system and mood.
5. Create a “Depression Kit”
Build a depression box or kit when you’re feeling okay, so it’s ready when you’re not. Put some things in a shoebox or tub that you can reach for when your brain feels foggy and harsh.
You can include things like:
- Encouraging notes and reminders from yourself
- Sweet notes, cards, photos, or gifts from loved ones to remind you that people care
- A list of small coping tools that work for you so you can remember them when you’re struggling
- Poems, photos, or drawings that make you feel good
6. Consider Volunteering with Animals
Spending time with animals can help relieve the intensity of depression. It’s not always realistic for people who struggle with mental health issues to be able to care for a pet, but you can always find ways to interact with them.
You can try helping at a horse farm, a dog or cat shelter, or an animal rescue or rehabilitation center.
7. Get Curious About How Your Brain and Body React
One of the drivers of chronic mental and physical health challenges—including depression, anxiety, and chronic pain—is the innate human desire to run as quickly as we can in the opposite direction of the hard feelings that arise from those experiences.
The evolution of humans (and all other life) demands avoiding pain whenever possible in order to survive.
The problem is that human brains can’t distinguish between physical pain and emotional pain. Both types can trigger a threat response, especially if you never learned to feel or express emotion safely as a child.
Try getting curious about the sensations in your body and even the thoughts you’re having. What feelings are coming up? Where are they in your body? Do they change or shift? Is there tightness, tingling, clenching, or constriction? Just try to notice what’s going on without judgment.
This can be challenging and frightening to do on your own, so taking it slowly is a good idea. If it feels scary or increases anxiety or depressive feelings, work with a therapist who can guide you safely through the process.
8. Try Medication
When depression is persistent or significantly impacts your life, medication often helps.
Working with a provider can involve some amount of trial and error, but finding the right medication can reduce symptoms enough to make therapy and daily functioning more accessible.
9. Ask for Support
Depression makes self-care challenging. Many people navigate it in isolation because of fatigue, feeling like a burden, or thinking they don’t deserve help. But the people who love you want to show up for you.
Even when you know these things logically, the negative thoughts and feelings you experience during depression can make you forget any good thing you’ve ever felt or experienced.
If you have support available, lean on it. It makes a huge difference to connect with people who can remind you that you’re not alone and you’re not a burden.
You might:
- Ask a couple of friends to check in with you regularly when you’re having a hard time, even if you might not get back to them.
- Invite a friend to watch a movie or lie down on the floor (or outside on grass!) in silence with you.
- Ask someone to remind you regularly that you’re not an awful or unlovable person; that’s your depression talking
- Join a support group online or in person.
- Seek therapy.
Does Depression Get Better?
For many people, depression does get better. Figuring out how to get out of depression can feel like a long journey, but the right treatment makes a big difference.
Of course, most people don’t just wake up one day and magically feel better forever. Recovery isn’t linear. You’ll likely have ebbs and flows over time, getting better at certain points and worse at others. That’s okay.
Learning and practicing coping tools, learning to trust yourself, finding support, and building resilience can all play powerful roles in reducing the overall impact of depression over time.
When to Seek Professional Help for Depression
If your symptoms last more than a couple of weeks or interfere with your daily life, it’s a strong signal to seek support. Professional support can be a meaningful part of overcoming severe depression.
Consider reaching out for help if:
- Symptoms last more than a few weeks
- You’re struggling to function at work, school, or home
- You feel persistently hopeless, numb, or overwhelmed
- You’ve lost interest in things you used to enjoy
- You’re experiencing thoughts, urges, or behaviors of self-harm or suicide (get immediate help)
Because symptoms and life experiences often intersect, getting a comprehensive evaluation matters. A licensed therapist, psychiatrist, or medical provider can help identify what’s going on and guide you toward the most effective treatment.
You don’t have to deal with depression on your own.
Depression Treatment at PrairieCare
PrairieCare offers a full continuum of care for depression for people of all ages and stages of life. Our levels of treatment include:
- Outpatient therapy and psychiatry for ongoing support
- Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP) and Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP) for structured, higher-level care
- Residential treatment for teens, a longer-term stay in a home-like environment
- Inpatient hospital care (ages 35 and younger) for acute stabilization and safety
- Perinatal mental health programs
TMS at PrairieCare for Treatment-Resistant Depression
For people who haven’t found relief through traditional approaches, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) may also be an option. TMS is a non-invasive, evidence-based treatment that uses targeted magnetic pulses to stimulate brain regions involved in mood regulation.
TMS is often used for treatment-resistant depression. It can be an effective next step when medication and therapy alone haven’t provided enough relief.
Take the First Step Today
Recovery from depression is possible. If you’re curious about how treatment might help you, reach out to us at 952-826-8475. We’re here to help walk you through your options and the next right steps.
You can also request a complimentary care questionnaire by using the button below.
FAQs
What causes depression?
- Depression is caused by a mix of biological, psychological, and environmental factors, including genetics, stress, trauma, and life circumstances. It’s rarely just caused by one thing, which is why getting a comprehensive evaluation is an important part of proper treatment.
What are the symptoms of depression?
- Common symptoms include low mood, fatigue, loss of interest, changes in sleep or appetite, difficulty concentrating, and feelings of worthlessness or hopelessness.
How is depression treated?
- Treatment often includes therapy, medication, lifestyle changes, and social support. Higher levels of care, like IOP, PHP, inpatient treatment, or TMS, may be recommended depending on severity.
Does depression look the same in everyone?
- No. Depression can look different depending on the person. Some people feel deep despair, while others feel numb, irritable, or disconnected.
How can I find help for depression?
- You can start by reaching out to a therapist, psychiatrist, primary care provider, or a mental health organizations like PrairieCare. If you’re in crisis, contact 988 for immediate support.
OK, I’m feeling depressed… so now what?
- Start small. Focus on getting through the day, not fixing everything at once. Reach out to someone you trust or a mental health provider, even if it feels difficult. Support is one of the most important steps forward.
What are the first steps to take when you feel depressed?
- Start by lowering expectations and focusing on small, manageable steps. Let go of pressure to “snap out of it,” reach out to someone you trust, and seek support if symptoms last more than a couple of weeks or affect daily functioning.
How to help yourself out of a depressive slump?
- Focus on gentle, realistic coping: reduce commitments, allow yourself to feel what you feel, connect with others, get small amounts of light or fresh air, and use simple tools (like a “depression kit”). Professional support, including therapy or medication, can also make a meaningful difference.
Why is it hard to perform simple tasks when you’re depressed?
- Depression impacts energy, motivation, concentration, and self-worth. It can make even basic tasks feel overwhelming because your mental and physical capacity is lowered, not because of laziness or lack of effort.
How long does it take to recover from depression?
- There’s no set timeline. Recovery is not linear and often includes ups and downs. With the right support and treatment, many people improve over time, but it typically happens gradually rather than all at once.