Are you tired of being sick and tired ?

By: Gabrielle Cecala

             Hopelessness is such a crippling feeling. Many people go through times when they know something is terribly wrong, but they often can't put their finger on it. All they can explain is a strong sense that nothing is every going to be OK again. It's not smart to ignore chronic feelings of hopelessness. Our souls cannot live for long in a state of hopelessness. Hope is like oxygen to the soul. Without a hopeful outlook, our souls will eventually suffocate.

            Situations beyond our control can delay the fulfillment of hope and leave us in a fog of uncertainty and despair. As hope seems to be nowhere to be found, the potential exists to lose heart and slip into a state of depression.

            Depression is a troubled mood or state of the soul that has a dramatic effect on our bodies. We lose energy. Sleeping and eating patterns become abnormal and we have difficulty concentrating.

            Depression can be mild or major. The more depression interferes with a person's ability to sleep, to eat, to work, to focus, and to enjoy life, the greater the severity of depression, and the greater need there is to be concerned.

           Sometimes a depressive mood lifts for no apparent reason. Usually, however, depression doesn't work itself out over time. Left to itself, it can linger on like an old injury that slowly wears a person down. Over time, it can grow into a severe debilitating problem. That's why it's important for those who are depressed to seek help.  

A reflection of the following statements can save a person to a potential problem with depression:

• I feel sad or shut down nearly every day.

• I have little or no interest in doing things I used to enjoy.

• I'm sleeping too little or too much. 

• I'm eating too little or too much.

• I feel tired most of the time.  

• I feel overwhelmed by the burdens of life. 

• I find it difficult to stay focused.

• I've lost interest in physical intimacy with my spouse. 

• I feel overwhelmed by the burdens of life. 

• I don't hold out much hope that my life will improve in the future. 

• I shift between feeling helpless and unworthy to feeling angry and cheated. 

• I think about death or killing myself.