Sudden Onset Depression

This type of depression happens without any warning and is generally biology based. It usually hits upon waking up with no prior bad mood when everything in life is good or reasonably ok. When it strikes, everything feels hopeless or pointless. Energy stores feel depleted, and it feels like there is no point to put any effort into anything. It can be incredibly hard to get out of bed and face the day. If you have ever had even one occurrence of sudden onset depression, it is worth preparing for a second occurrence. Some of the triggers are health issues, built up anxiety about a future event, physical pain, lack of progress, or a general feeling of malaise.

Each trigger has a different long-term solution, but the depressive mood should be stymied and not allowed to progress when possible. Understanding what is seemingly a disconnected and surprising event can limit how often and how deeply sudden onset depression impacts you. If it is purely a biological trigger, then taking an anti-depressant can make a significant difference. If it is long term health issues, seasonal changes, or unresolved anxiety, medication in addition to preparedness can greatly lessen the impact. Knowing what makes you more vulnerable to sudden onset depression can give vital information for how best to reduce the frequency and manage it when it hits.

With all depression, the two biggest diffusers we have are hope and future plans. Always having a plan for how next month or next year will have great gains in your life creates hope and a place to project our vision that takes us out of the now. When depression hits, the now can be the most painful space to occupy. Projecting to a time that is more positive and hopeful and then looking at what we can do to move towards that will help provide a lifeline out of our depressive thought patterns and lighten our mood. If we identify and act quickly, sudden onset depression will not have the opportunity to set in and drag us into a full-blown depressive episode. Realizing what you are dealing with and enacting your plan to shift gears can make a big difference in how long the depressive episode lasts. Whatever you are facing, I promise it is not your forever, and you can overcome it.