Depression often brings to mind images of people crying, but in reality the experience of depression can be debilitating. It affects mood, energy level, behavior, and patterns of thinking, and it can even diminish one’s ability to take care of themselves in basic ways. When depression reaches this intensity, it may be described as crippling depression.
What Is Crippling Depression?
If you’re wondering, “What is crippling depression?” know that it isn’t a clinical or diagnostic term; it’s just 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. Major depressive disorder (MDD) is the diagnostic label for debilitating depression.
There’s also a difference between depression and 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
Symptoms of depression 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
- 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
- Severe and unintentional weight gain/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
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:
- Family history of mental illness
- Trauma
- Poverty3
- Lack of adaptive coping skills
- Chronic pain or illness
- Adverse childhood experiences4
- Other types of depression
- Losing a job
- Death of a loved one
- Having other mental health issues
- Substance use
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 this funk and overcome feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness 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 just 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
Sleep has a strong impact 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, check out these prompts for journaling about 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
Explore and identify 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 depression treatment. 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 find a therapist, explore a online mental health directory where you can easily filter and search for a therapist. Medication
There are several types of 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
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.
Crippling Depression Infographics
