Korea Tech Mental Health Series
Have you been feeling depressed lately?
All of us experience failures and losses, both small and large, in the course of our lives and in response, all of us have been through temporary periods of temporary gloom or sadness. In most cases, such sad feelings pass over the course of time just as water flows through a stream and we recover our normal routine and feelings. Feeling down when you have a saddening experience is entirely natural and normal. If, however, this sad mood lasts for two or more weeks and begins to affect your daily life, this may be no longer a natural feeling of sadness or mourning but symptoms of clinical depression.
– Feelings (Mood)
Unpleasant and painful emotions such as sadness, dejection, unhappiness, guilt, emptiness, sense of worthlessness, sense of futility, despair, etc.
– Thoughts (Cognitive State)
Exacerbation of negative or pessimistic thoughts, self-abasing thoughts about one’s impotence or inferiority, idea that the world or other people are hostile and heartless, despairing thoughts about the future, thoughts about death or suicide, difficulty with concentration, deteriorated memory.
– Behavior
Repeated procrastination or delaying necessary tasks, frequent fatigue and difficulty getting up in the morning, loss of interest in previously pleasurable activities, avoidance of social activities, insomnia or excessive sleeping, dullness in behavior or noticeable decrease in activity, attempt at self-harm or suicide.
– Physical Symptoms
Changes in appetite or body weight (noticeable decrease or increase in weight), decline in sexual desire or interest, indigestion, headaches, decreased immunity (frequently catching cold, etc.)
It is entirely possible to overcome depression through your own effort.
- Identify the source of your stress or concerns and take an active initiative to find solutions. The sources of your problems may lie in conflicts with friends or family, academic difficulties or problems in adjusting to university life, or financial issues.
- Once you have identified a problem, reach out to an understanding person whom you can trust rather than worrying about the problem all by yourself: share your concerns with a friend, a family member, a senior student, or a professor. Even if you feel that there is no solution when you are alone, you may find that the process of discussing the issue with someone else clears up your heart and mind and this can yield unexpected insights and solutions.
- Try to shift from your fixed pattern of negative thinking to a more positive mindset. Consider whether you have burdened yourself by setting a goal that is excessively difficult, or whether you are excessively covetous of attention and recognition from others.
- You must keep your body active. Passivity is a noticeable behavioral pattern among depressed people. You’re your body: take a walk, exercise regularly, or find new activities that give you pleasure or an energizing sense of challenge.
