Although I cannot say that I dealt with depression first-hand, I’ve known what it’s like to experience loss and the intense pain of heartbreak. The closest I got with depression was experiencing something unusual postpartum when I started to pump and breastfeed. I thought I was suddenly feeling depressed for no reason.
Every time I would express milk (the initial moment of the milk coming down), I had a weird overwhelming feeling of ‘doom’ and sadness. I would think about how sad my life is and how regretful my past was. The unusual thing was, those feelings would dissipate once I go on through my breastfeeding or pumping sessions. Those weren’t really my thoughts as I was feeling fine, happy, and grateful
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That’s when I realized that I had a condition called D-MER or Dysphoric Milk Ejection Reflex. Some hormones involved in producing milk are Prolactin and Dopamine. For Prolactin (milk hormone) levels to go up, Dopamine levels must come down. For some reason, this mechanism affects my body in a more intense way than other women…so much that I associate the drop of Dopamine levels as a short-term form of depression.
And so I wondered, if I had those short bursts of suddenly feeling depressed for no reason, how much more difficult would it be for people actually diagnosed with depression and mental health problems? I imagined how horrible it would be to feel the ‘low’ feelings I felt during milk letdown for a long period of time.
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I began to empathize with people who suffer from depression. Now, I knew even for a short period how dark it may feel, and found ways to cope. If you’re someone who is suddenly feeling depressed for no reason, I hope these strategies can also help you out.
Suddenly Feeling Depressed for No Reason: Ways to Cope
Acknowledge the physiological side of things
The first step that helped me cope was understanding the condition I’m having and the physiological side of it. This means that my body is having an emotional response to a physical phenomenon–this has nothing to do with my life’s circumstances. It was simply a shift in hormones and my body is responding to it with seemingly irrational emotions.
When I started to see it this way, I started to separate myself from the negative emotions and see them as simply a reaction of my body.
When you are suddenly feeling depressed for no reason, it is possible that you may have had a hormonal shift or a trigger that caused your brain to release chemicals that made you feel that way. I am not saying that all negative feelings are like this, but it helps to acknowledge that maybe, your life isn’t so terrible and it could just be your body having some form of imbalance. Just like sniffling or coughing when you are sick, your body may just be reacting to stimuli.
Understand that all things come to pass
Another mindset that I adopted in times where I am suddenly feeling depressed for no reason is that “all things come to pass”.
At first, being a perfectionist made it difficult for me to see
If there’s a sad moment in my life, I just saw it for what it is, a moment. Life isn’t meant to be filled with only one type of emotion–we will experience a whole range of feelings from the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. They are all, however, fleeting because emotions are mostly reactions from life’s situations.
I know, it may seem like forever, but know that it’s only a temporary season. If you decide to stick to it and have a proactive approach, your emotions could shift and you will start to feel better.
Find your constant
Now that you’ve realized that emotions and circumstances shift from time to time, you must anchor yourself with a constant in your life.
A constant is something or someone who never changes and decides to stick by you through life’s changes. For me, I have found my constant to be God’s presence in my life.
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Spurgeon’s Sorrows: Realistic Hope for those who Suffer from Depression
Christians should have the answers, shouldn’t they? Depression affects many people both personally and through the ones we love. Here Zack Eswine draws from C.H Spurgeon, ‘the Prince of Preachers’ experience to encourage us. What Spurgeon found in his darkness can serve as a light in our own darkness. Zack Eskwine brings you here, not a self–help guide, rather ‘a handwritten note of one who wishes you well.’ Find in Amazon.
When I was feeling down in my first relationship breakup, He was there to comfort me. When I was wrapped in fear because I thought I couldn’t pass my internship for graduation, He was there to give me strength and wisdom. Now that I’m married and have my own son, He provides me with grace to handle these responsibilities. He speaks to me through all seasons in my life and I can trust Him with that.
The Bible says:
“For I, the Lord, do not change.” (Malachi 3:6)
It’s such a great feeling to know that God is constant! Through life’s changing seasons and shifts in emotions, I know that I can cling to Him.
When you are suddenly feeling depressed for no reason, just remember these three strategies that I mentioned. Acknowledge the physical, know that it will pass, and find your constant. In time, it may allow you to shift your views from being “hopeless” to “hopeful”.
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