Crippling Depression: Definition, Symptoms, & Treatments

What Is Depression?

Depression is a common but serious mental health condition. Those who struggle with depression can experience a wide range of symptoms, including changes in their sleep, eating habits, and social availability. Often times, those with crippling depression withdraw in some way, are more at risk for suicidal ideation, and may be less likely to seek support. Due to the very low mood people experience with crippling depression, it is important to consider the profound negative impact of depression on one’s quality of life.

What Is Crippling Depression?

If you’re wondering, “What is crippling depression?” know that it isn’t a clinical or diagnostic term; it’s a description of the way some people experience depression. Because the word “crippling” has been used in a derogatory way towards those with disabilities, it is best to find another word to describe this experience. More inclusive terms for this type of depression include: overwhelming, debilitating, intense, or extreme depression. Major depressive disorder (MDD) is the diagnostic label for debilitating depression.

Depression vs. Sadness

There’s also a difference between depression vs. sadness, primarily in that sadness is a normal feeling that everyone experiences, whereas depression impacts functioning in several areas of life. Depression can be debilitating and prevent people from completing daily tasks. In fact, it is the leading cause of disability worldwide.¹

Crippling Depression Symptoms

Depression symptoms can impact functioning at home, work, school, and in social settings. The way someone thinks, feels, and behaves changes in ways that are bothersome or problematic as a result of depression. For example, poor hygiene and absences from work are some of the more noticeable symptoms of depression.

Crippling depression symptoms can include:

• Poor personal hygiene
• Getting stuck scrolling through social media or surfing the internet
• Difficulty focusing
• Missing work (i.e., work depression)
• Withdrawing or isolating from social interaction
• Lack of interest in activities you once enjoyed
• Loss of pleasure
• Mood swings
• Agitation or restlessness
• Changes in appetite
• Depression weight gain or loss
• Pains like headaches/backaches
• Apathy
• Helplessness
• Hopelessness
• Guilt
• Lack of self-esteem or self-worth
• Negative thoughts and beliefs about self, others, and the world
• Feelings of emptiness
• Lack of motivation
• Fatigue and low energy levels
• Insomnia or hypersomnia

Causes & Risks Factors For Debilitating Depression

Is depression genetic? Yes, at least it can be. Depression is caused by a combination of biological, psychological, and social factors.^1,2 This means that genetics, the environment you were born into, the way you were raised, health issues, stress, and life events all play a role in whether you will experience depression.

Potential causes and risk factors for developing debilitating depression include:^1,3,4

• Family history of mental illness
• Trauma
• Poverty
• Lack of adaptive coping skills
• Chronic pain or illness
• Adverse childhood experiences
• Other types of depression
• Losing a job
• Death of a loved one
• Having other mental health issues
• Substance use

Types of Depressive Disorders

There are various types of depressive disorders that can overlap and also can be symptoms of other mental health or physical health issues. It’s important to be aware of all your symptoms and ensure your medical team is aware of them all as well.

The main depressive disorder types include:

• Major Depressive Disorder
• Persistent Depressive Disorder
• Double Depression
• Melancholic Depression
• Seasonal Affective Disorder
• Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder
• Situational Depression

Getting a Diagnosis of Crippling Depression

Crippling depression is diagnosed by the severity and time frame of low moods and the negative impact on someone’s life. People with severe depression are treated for an extended period of time and symptoms are monitored to help justify the diagnosis. To add, a therapist may use self-assessment tools to find out how symptoms are trending. It can be found that those with depression of any kind can be supported by medication intervention in addition to talk therapy. These interventions can help to curtail the severity of crippling depression as well as other mental health issues.

How to Deal With Debilitating Depression: 10 Tip

When depression reaches a debilitating level, our activity level can drop off. We may stop engaging in even our most basic activities such as brushing our teeth, showering, or eating. The main way to get out of a funk and overcome feelings of hopelessness is to thoughtfully plan and intentionally take action despite lacking energy or motivation.

Ten tips for how to get over debilitating depression include:

1. Get Outside

Spending time outside is linked to improved mood and cognition.⁵ This might look like reading a book in your yard, going on a hike, or spending time at the beach.

2. Get Moving

Not only is exercise good for physical health, but it’s beneficial for mental health as well. Movement is a healthy way to express, process, and release our emotions. Dance, swim, go for a run, practice yoga, take an exercise class, or walk around your neighborhood. Explore how you feel as you move your body in different ways.

3. Do Things You Like

Whether it’s a favorite activity from childhood or something you’ve wanted to try and never got around to, engaging in activities you enjoy is a great way to battle depression. This could be playing an instrument, drawing or painting, cooking, or even reading. Even if it is difficult to get yourself going or you don’t think you’ll have any fun, follow through with your plan and you will likely feel better.

4. Spend Time With People You Enjoy

Pay attention to how you feel when you’re with people. Increase the amount of time you spend with the people you feel the best around. For an added benefit, spend time doing physical activities outside with people you like.

5. Eat a Balanced Diet

The best diet for you may not be the same as the best diet for someone else. It’s important to make use of resources, such as your primary care doctor or a nutritionist to get tips specific to you. In general, research shows that eating more fish and following the Mediterranean diet may be beneficial for preventing depression.

Eating a lot of sweets is associated with increased risk of depression. The risk of depression also increased with the number of foods excluded from the diet.⁶

6. Improve Your Sleep Hygiene

The impact of sleep on mental health can’t be ignored. Sleep has a strong effect on mood, so improving your sleep can help with depression. Things like having a bedtime routine, only using your bed for sleep or sex, and not using your phone in bed are factors in improving your sleep hygiene.

7. Journal

Externalizing the thoughts and feelings we have can help us get some distance from them and evaluate if and how we want to take action. Sometimes the process of writing things down is helpful in and of itself. If you’re not sure what to write about, checking out these journal prompts for depression.

8. Practice Mindfulness

Depression is often linked to thoughts about the past or worry about the future. Reminiscing or planning for the future can alleviate depression, but worrying helplessly or ruminating can make depression worse. Practice staying in the present moment by engaging in mindfulness. A helpful way to do this is by focusing on your five senses.

9. Help Others

Humans are social beings, so interacting with others is a key component of our well-being. Beyond that, helping behavior is linked to improved mental health. Research has shown that those with higher levels of depression benefit even more from helping others.⁷ You might try volunteering at a neighborhood summer or holiday event, serving coffee or cleaning up at your place of worship, or visiting a nursing home.

10. Do Things That Are Important to You

Identify and explore your top five values. Then think about how you can take action in service of these values. When we act in ways that align with our values, we lead a more fulfilling life. There is evidence that taking committed action in service of our values is linked to lower levels of depression and distress.⁸

Treatment Options For Debilitating Depression

If you are struggling with symptoms of depression, there are professionals who can help you through therapy and medication management. One or both are effective options for how to treat depression. Psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners can prescribe medication while therapists, social workers, and psychologists can provide therapy or counseling.

Therapy

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) nondirective supportive treatment, behavioral activation treatment, psychodynamic treatment, problem-solving therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy, and social skills training have been found equally effective for the treatment of depression.⁹

Light therapy is also an option to help regulate sleep and treat depression.¹⁰ If you’re unsure of how to go about finding & choosing an online therapist, explore our therapist directory where you can easily filter and search for a therapist. Medication

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is used for treating treatment-resistant depression in inpatient psychiatric settings. The procedure sends electrical signals to the brain to stimulate specific parts of the brain. The procedure lasts a few minutes and occurs several times a week over the course of one month. It has risks involved including memory and cognition immediately following the procedure which is short lived, so it is important to consider all options available.

Medication

There are several types of medication for depression, antidepressants including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), atypical antidepressants, tricyclic antidepressants, and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs).

A psychiatrist may also prescribe another type of medication to treat depression alone or in conjunction with an antidepressant. SSRIs are commonly prescribed and have been found beneficial for treating depression.¹¹

Final Thoughts on Crippling Depression

Depression can make you feel like nothing will help or things won’t ever get better, but there are effective treatments for depression at all levels of severity.¹² If you are experiencing debilitating depression, you are not alone and there is hope. Even though it may be difficult, reach out to someone you trust or a trained professional for help. When depression is getting in the way of your daily responsibilities, it is important to consider medication and applying for disability benefits for depression, which can help you get through the hardest times.