This article will discuss how depression can make you feel like you are tired of living. For that, the article will explain what depression is, its main symptoms, and how it can make you feel fatigued, and without energy. Along with that, the article will disclose what are ways to cope with these feelings.
What is depression?
Depression is a mental illness that affects around 5% of the world’s population. It can happen to anyone, at any age, but usually, women have a higher chance of developing depression.
But even with that, depression tends to be a multi-factor condition. It can happen due to genetics, which makes you more susceptible to it if you have someone in your family that went through it before. But there is also a chemical side to it, and it can happen due to a chemical imbalance in the brain.
Along with those, depression can also be related to environmental factors, for example, a person that is experiencing a traumatic situation, such as the loss of a loved one, a divorce, or even a financial problem, can get depressed.
For a person to be considered depressed, they need to experience its symptoms intensely for more than 2 weeks.
But what sometimes makes it hard for people to be diagnosed with depression is that it has many symptoms, and not everyone experiences it in the same manner. The condition is usually identified by an intense sense of sadness that encompasses all aspects of the person’s life.
Along with that, people lose interest in doing even things they used to love and may feel like they have no energy to do things. Focusing can also become a problem, and they can start to show low self-esteem, and decreased sense of self-worth. Along with those, some other symptoms can appear in a person with depression, they are:
- Change in eating pattern
- Change in sleeping pattern
- Irritability
- Isolation
- Fatigue
- Guilt
- Self-harm
- Thought of death or suicidal thoughts
And even though all of those symptoms are common in people with depression, the intensity of them can change from one person to the next, and some people can feel like depression is making them even tired of living. Let’s discuss why this can happen.
Depression is making me tired of living
Depression has a different impact on different people. To some, it can bring mostly a sense of sadness, while others can feel completely drained by it, fatigued, and feel like they are tired of even living.
And although this can seem hard for people to understand, it is something that should be validated. Unfortunately, sometimes depression can make the simplest thing, such as getting out of bed impossible.
When a person is feeling like this, it is common to say they are experiencing depression fatigue. Research has shown that people with depression can experience fatigue due to neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and serotonin, that are responsible for making people alert, work in their reward system, and on their mood.
The low presence of these neurotransmitters can have a direct impact on how tired you feel. Other matters that are present in depression can also make you feel even more tired. An example of this is the change in your sleeping pattern.
Although some people with depression may sleep all day, to others, it can lead to intense insomnia. And sometimes, even if you sleep all day, it doesn’t mean that the quality of your sleep will be good.
Another matter that can impact your feeling tired, is your eating pattern. People with depression can be locked in a vicious circle of not eating well because they don’t have the energy to cook, or care for themselves, which leaves them feeling even less energetic.
You can also be feeling tired of living due to the intense level of stress depression puts you under. Since depression can happen due to a traumatic event, if you are experiencing any of them, you may feel so stressed that it can cause you to develop fatigue.
And even though there are different depressive disorders, there are some ways one can cope with being tired of living. Let’s discuss how it is done.
How can I cope with those feelings?
Feeling that you are tired of living due to depression can be overwhelming. But there are some ways you may cope with this feeling.
The first thing you may want to do is talk to your doctor. If you have been treating your depression, and you develop intense fatigue, it can be that your medication needs some adjustment, or there might be some other medical condition that is impacting how you feel.
Along with changing your medication, and making it to a full workup, your doctor may discuss with you about starting therapy as a way to understand your emotions better and learn new ways of navigating through depression.
If you’re facing this, it may be a good idea to seek the help of a therapist or other mental health professional. You can find a therapist at BetterHelp who can help you learn how to cope and address it.
Along with that, you may want to take up exercising. It doesn’t need to be a full workout, and that can even seem impossible to people suffering from depression, but starting small, like a short walk, can already improve your energy levels.
Not only will that be a reason to get out of the house a little, and take some sun, but the endorphins that can come from it can be extremely beneficial to your mood. Along with that, exercising can also impact the quality of your sleep.
Taking some actions to improve the quality of your sleep can be of great help. You can do that by cutting down on the coffee you have, and especially don’t have it during the afternoon. You can also eat light meals before bedtime, and try to keep electronic devices away from the bed.
And finally, you can try to improve your eating habits. When you are depressed it can be hard to prepare a balanced meal, or even have an eating schedule, for that, you can ask for the help of your loved ones.
Try to stay away from processed food, too much sugar, or meats, since they can harm your sense of well-being.
If you take those recommendations, it might be that your energy levels will improve and you will start to feel more and more like yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): Can depression make me tired of living?
What are suicidal thoughts?
Suicidal thoughts are ones people have when they are considering ending their lives. It is also called suicidal ideation, and it can happen in two ways. The first one is in which it comes more passively.
When you consider the possibility of ending your life but don’t have a plan for it. And even though it is still a dangerous manifestation, it is not as dangerous as the other form of suicidal thought.
In it, people are more active around their ideas and can start to plan how, when, and where they are going to do it. They can start to show that they lost complete faith in their lives, along with that, they can become more agitated, irritable, and display a curiosity around death, violent events, and even suicide.
You can notice someone is planning to end their lives if they start to give away their belongings, and say goodbye to their loved ones. If that is the case, it is important to look for professional help right away, and avoid leaving them alone.
How can I help my friend that has suicidal thoughts?
The first thing you can do when you suspect your friend has suicidal thoughts is talk about it with them. Since suicide is such a taboo, it can be hard for people to talk about it. By opening this possibility with them, you will be able to offer support and understand how dangerous the situation is, and if they are in treatment.
Along with that, you should make yourself present, after this conversation, to show them how you are standing by their side. Offer to accompany them to treatment, or to spend a day together. So they are not left alone, you can get in touch with other people from their support network, so you can all spend some time with your friend.
This is extremely important if you notice that your friend is not only thinking about suicide but also planning it. Along with that, you can also remove from their surroundings instruments they can use to harm themselves.
What are ways to cope with fatigue?
If you are feeling fatigued, you can try to put some exercise in your routine. And you may want to find small periods of your day when you can rest. Prioritizing what you want to do is important, as well as asking for help from the people around you.
Having a healthy lifestyle, in which you eat and sleep well can have a great positive effect on your fatigue. The same is said about reducing your stress level. You may do that by exercising, getting massages, reading, or even having a laugh with friends.
And if you feel like your fatigue is coming mostly from your work routine, you may try to talk to your boss about improving your activities, or readjusting it to your pace, since it may change over time.
How can I improve my sleep?
There are some things you can do if you feel like you are not sleeping well. The first is to try and listen to your body. When it feels sleepy, how much sleep is enough for you, and so on. Along with that, spending some time outside during the day, but controlling your exposure to light during the night can help you sleep better.
Again, exercising is great. It will help you with symptoms of anxiety and insomnia, which can impair your sleep. Taking care of what you eat and drink right before going to bed can also help. A full stomach is not good to help you fall asleep.
And when it is close to your bedtime, you can do relaxing activities, and stay in an environment that relaxes you.
What are foods are good for depression?
The foods that are good for depression are the ones that can improve the hormones and neurotransmitters that tend to be low while you are depressed, such as serotonin, dopamine, and melatonin.
You can have dark chocolate, turkey, nuts, dark green leaves, such as spinach, and sweet potatoes.
Conclusion
This article explained why depression can make you feel like you are tired of living. For that, it showed what depression is, and how its symptoms can make you tired of living. Along with that, the article explained what are ways for you to cope with that.
If you have any questions or comments about this article, feel free to write it in the section below.