Depression is a very prevalent mental disorder affecting 340 million people globally and is projected to become the leading cause of disability and the second leading contributor to the global burden of disease by the year 2020.
While we think of depression as more
Depression is a very prevalent mental disorder affecting 340 million people globally and is projected to become the leading cause of disability and the second leading contributor to the global burden of disease by the year 2020.
While we think of depression as more a mental health issue, it also affects your physical health and well-being – in more ways than you can probably imagine!
Having experienced depression myself in the past, I can attest to the fact that it’s a full-body experience. Interestingly, living with chronic anxiety and depression are what actually got me into remedial massage, yoga, and holistic & functional movement as a profession as I personally experienced the healing powers of these “touch therapies” myself.
Let’s learn more about some of the most common symptoms of depression, including how it can affect your entire body, especially if left untreated.
(Please remember that if you’re experiencing symptoms of depression — you are not alone, there is nothing “wrong” with you, and there IS support for you!)
How is depression different than just having a “low mood”?
In general, a low mood can be a combination of feelings of sadness, anxiety, worry, fatigue, frustration, anger and frustration. These feelings tend to lift after a few days or possibly weeks if you’re particularly stressed or dealing with a big life change.
Depression, on the other hand, is a low mood that doesn’t go away after 2 weeks or more, and can sometimes even last for years.
Along with some (or all) of the feelings of a low mood, you may also be sleeping more or less than usual, eating more or less than usual, using alcohol or drugs to cope, have feelings of hopelessness, no