Is Your Depression Situational or Clinical?

I am going through a bit of a thing that has me worried and anxious and frankly, feeling depressed. I have dealt with clinical depression in the past — the kind that appears out of nowhere and lingers for reasons I couldn’t name. Most of my experiences, though, have been situational: postpartum after childbirth, losing a career, seasonal shifts, and maybe even this current situation.

Medically, situational depression is often labeled an “adjustment disorder with depressed mood.” It commonly eases with time, talk therapy, and the slow work of adjusting to life’s changes. But the frightening truth is that unresolved situational depression can tip into major depressive disorder, which is more severe and harder to shake.

That possibility is what has me worried now: I’m anxious about whether this sadness will pass — and anxious about being anxious. If that sentence made sense to you, you and I might be good friends.

The hard work is noticing patterns, asking for help early, and treating each episode with kindness and care. Small steps—talking, sleeping better, seeing a clinician—can keep situational sadness from becoming something darker. You don’t have to face it alone. Reach out today for help.

P.S. This post is about 200 words long. My goal is to write 600+ word blog posts. Unfortunately, my psych meds (one in particular) has zapped my creative writing ability. I’ll write more about this next time. Stay tuned!

P.P.S. What kind of depression have you experienced and what tools did you use to cope with it?