Hey, everybody.
Today, I’m gonna tell you what you need to know about Major Depressive Disorder,
what is it, number one.
Number two, what do we do? What are our treatment options?
And there are a lot. So let’s get going.
I’ve got my DSM, ♪ my DSM ♪.
Okay, and so, it says,
If you’re having trouble functioning in your daily life and you’ve had at least
five of these symptoms for more than two weeks, which is such a short period
of time for the DSM because two weeks is not a long time,
but you must have depressed mood and loss of interest or pleasure.
You know I’ve talked about before like anhedonia?
That’s the word that we use for that number two, loss of pleasure or interest?
You must have that as well as depressed mood to even be considered
to have MDD.
What are the symptoms that we may have, and we have to have five or more?
Depressed mood most of the day.
That’s number one.
Number two, markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all or almost
all activities. So the anhedonia again.
Number three is appetite disturbance.
We’re either eating more than normal or not as much as normal.
Number four, hypersomnia or insomnia.
Now, you can see how these can vary, right?
We’re having a lot. We’re eating too much.
We’re sleeping too much. Or we’re not eating enough.
Or we’re not sleeping too much.
It seems we’ve been doing the same thing, right?
No, because if you remember, we rewind back [makes rewind noise],
I say that you must represent a change from previous functioning.
We’re changing.
If we didn’t sleep much and now we’re sleeping a lot,
that’s a change from previous functioning.
If we ate a lot and now we’re not eating much,
that’s a change. That’s why these are put together in the same kind of thing, okay?
Next, number five, psychomotor agitation or retardation.
So that means we’re either moving a lot or not moving much.
It can be hard to get around. We can feel really sluggish.
Or we can feel really anxious.
“Oh, my god, I gotta move. I got things to do.”
Either of those.
Same type of thing, right? It’s a change.
Now, number six, fatigue or loss of energy nearly everyday.
Now, I would say that this one is the most common
reason for people coming in to see their doctor.
People who have MDD tend to run into their doctor first.
They’ll be like, “I’ve been so tired and, like, achy.
I don’t know what‘s going on with me.”
Now, number seven, feelings of worthlessness or excessive
or inappropriate guilt. Now, I hear from a lot of you that
this is something that you struggle with.
And I think the emphasis would be on inappropriate.
So think about it. If this is something you’re struggling with, is it warranted?
Has something happened recently, like really happened a significant thing,
to warrant the amount of guilt, shame, whatever you’re feeling?
If not, you may want to talk to your doctor and see a therapist.
Number eight, diminished ability to think or concentrate or indecisiveness.
I made a video about, I don’t know, two months ago.
The most overlooked symptom of depression— this was it.
Do you read, re-read? Do you watch TV and be like,
“I have no idea what just happened”?
Are you like my mother? You’re like 45 minutes into a movie,
and you’re like, “I think I’ve seen this before”.
You may want to talk to your doctor. She really does that.
It’s really annoying. I love her, but hi, Mom.
The last one, number nine, is recurrent thoughts of death.
This is also one that we will definitely be like, “Hmm, maybe I should
talk to somebody because I keep thinking about ending my life.”
And if you find yourself—let’s say none of the others even resonated but this
one is really—it’s just in your life all the time, please reach out for help.
Please call a suicide hotline.
I have a whole page on my website.
No matter where you live or where you’re from, please call.
Get help. Reach out.
It’s not all hopeless. You’re not in a dark pit.
People can help you, and you can get out of it, okay?
I have a video also about creating a safety plan around that.
You may want to check that out as well.
That’s how we know if we have it.
What do we do?
We have medication options.
Obviously, we talk a lot about, you know, antidepressants,
and people maybe like them or don’t like them, but that’s an option.
That’s something that you can talk to your doctor about and you
can get help for. And know that you’re not alone in this.
This is very common.
One in ten Americans struggle with depression.
And females are more likely to have it than males.
So remember that you’re not alone.
Aside from medication, there are therapy options.
Obviously, talk therapy can be very beneficial for anyone
struggling with depression, just to have a place to vent, to get some reprieve,
to get some extra support.
And they say, and I’m gonna read from this because I don’t want to forget that
before you even go in to see someone, try to learn as much about your depression
as you can.
I know that sounds really weird. You’re like, “How am I supposed to learn
about my depression. What are you talking about, Kati? You’re losing
your mind.” No, it’s good for you to know the severity, like on a scale of
one to ten, how bad do you feel it has been this week?
The timing, does it come and go at certain times of years? certain times of
days? Those are all important things to tell your therapist and your doctor.
Also, the duration in general. Does it stay for months?
Has it been here for years? Can you not remember the last
time you didn’t feel depressed?
All the things are very important,
and it helps make sure we get the proper diagnosis, ’cause it might not be
depression: it may be something else. But we need to have all that information,
as clinicians, to offer you the right treatment.
And with that, under the talk therapy, CBT is also very helpful because there
are a lot of behavioral changes that we can make,
like, “I need to get outside and walk for 30 minutes.”
Lay out in the sun, and just let it hit your face.
I don’t even care if it’s winter; just getting light, we know,
can be very beneficial. Also, spending time with friends, making yourself
get up and shower during the day, making sure you’re eating properly—
all of those things can help with depression.
And remember, you’re not alone.
There are so many people struggling, so please, please, please reach out for
help. The sooner, the better.
And if you like this type of video, give it a thumbs up.
And don’t forget to subscribe, ’cause I put out videos about three days a week.
That’s a lot, and you don’t want to miss them.
And leave your comments below, because we’re a community working together
on our mental health and something you share may help someone else and spark them
to reach out and get the help that they need.
And that book is making me sweat. It is so hot in my house. Okay.
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