http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-friedman-lmsw/depression_b_1793598.html
Decided to highlight this article (it’s old but still pertinent) for folks who may not necessarily understand what aspects of depression there are. When my ex-wife initiated our divorce I had to face the fact that I was in a dark, bad place. As I sat with my therapist and fleshed out the things that were bothering me I realized that prior to the divorce I was showing all the signs of depression. I didn’t feel “sad” per say, I didn’t feel much of well anything was the problem.
I’d almost draw a parallel between anhedonia and a sensory deprivation tank. Not feeling something in some ways is worse than feeling at all over time. For me it bred a sense of uselessness with everything I was doing. The phrase “My heart wasn’t in it” I think became my knee-jerk reaction. These days I’m more aware of my emotional state, be it sadness from the divorce or the numbness of anhedonia. The biggest difference, awareness and trying to use various coping tools and behaviors discussed as part of CBT sort of makes me feel like I’m still in the driver seat of my life. Something that after several years of depression I felt wasn’t the case.
Pay attention in particular to the last paragraph of the article. I think it articulates a lot of the challenges of dealing with depression and seeking help.
