When you're in the middle of depression, it can feel like your brain is working against you. Motivation disappears, thoughts become foggy or hopeless, and even the simplest tasks can feel impossible. You might wonder if you'll ever feel like yourself again.

There are plenty of stereotypes and tropes about eating too much, or eating the “wrong” things when you’re feeling low. We’ve all seen the movie scenes where someone reaches for a pint of ice cream after a breakup, or sits on the couch surrounded by chips and cookies when they’re sad about something.

Millions of people in the United States alone take antidepressants to help them deal with symptoms caused by a depressive disorder. That number has shown a steady increase in the last few years.

Are you feeling sluggish, fatigued, unmotivated, and maybe even sad and hopeless? That might sound like the beginning of an advertisement for some miracle solution, but before we get into any strategies to help those symptoms, it’s important to understand why they’re present.

Depression is often cyclical. It’s more than just feelings of sadness. It can create thoughts of helplessness and hopelessness that tend to show up in patterns.

While stress can certainly fuel excitement and ambition, it can also cause fatigue and eventually, depression. 

Many things can cause depression. There are environmental factors—like experiencing the death of a loved one—and genetic factors. If you have a relative with depression, you’re five times as likely to get it. 

We may not all be natural therapists, brilliant poets, or confident speakers, but that does not mean we are incapable of helping our loved ones through depression.

Depression has been taking a toll on many people during this uncertain time.