Severe Depression: How Can You Keep Your Loved One Safe?

In 2022, 19.9% of Delawareans were diagnosed with some form of depression. This includes those who have severe depression symptoms. In that same year, 130 people died by suicide in the state. While not everyone who dies in this way has severe depression, many of them do.

At SUN Behavioral Health, we know that treatment for severe depression reduces the chances that someone will die from suicide. Today, we are going to discuss what severe depression is and how you can keep your loved ones safe if they have it. 

Depression is a spectrum that is commonly described as the 4 stages of depression. Severe depression falls in the later stages, and it is also known as major depression. Treatment is required to manage severe depression, and it has several symptoms that significantly interfere with someone’s daily life. It may result in someone being unable to attend work or school or even get out of bed in the morning. They might feel numb or like they are better off not being alive anymore. This is not true, and with proper treatment, recovery is possible.

It’s not fully known why someone might have a more severe form of depression than another person. However, some factors have been recognized over the years which can contribute to worsened depression. These factors can be genetic or hormonal, but they don’t have to be. It can result from some personality traits like low self-esteem or self-criticism. In other people, it may result from traumatic and stressful experiences in their past or present.

Having an unsupportive environment, a history of other mental health disorders, or chronic illnesses sometimes results in someone having more severe symptoms. In many cases, people with severe depression will have a combination of risk factors. Still, it is possible to have severe depression with only one or none. 

Severe depression may have symptoms that are slightly different from other depression severities. For someone with less severe depression, it still impacts their life, and they might experience feelings of sadness, irritability, fatigue, and anger. It affects their ability to complete daily tasks and limits their ability to manage relationships.

With that said, it is not usually paralyzing like severe depression. This type of depression is much more serious and comes with intense symptoms such as:

Severe depression also comes with physical symptoms. These include constipation, unexplained aches and pains, weight loss or gain, low sex drive, or speaking and moving slower than what is normal for them.

Adolescents may also have severe depression. Their symptoms, for the most part, look similar to those of adults, but they can also have different ones. Some of the most common include eating or sleeping too much, complaints about aches, sensitivity to criticism or failure, and threatening to run away.

If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms of severe depression, talking to your doctor or attending depression treatment is necessary as soon as possible. You will be taught valuable skills and gain tools that help you manage your depression symptoms.

While it is never too late to get treatment, attending therapy when signs begin prevents depression from worsening into severe symptoms. Talk with someone you trust if you are afraid to seek treatment alone or don’t know where to go. This could be a close friend, family member, community leader, or anyone you trust. It is okay to ask them to accompany you to your first appointment. 

1. You are looking for a way to die. This could consist of researching methods of suicide or acquiring methods, such as a gun.
2. You are feeling trapped because of unbearable emotional or physical pain. Perhaps you feel like you have no other way to ease the distress you are experiencing other than dying by suicide.
3. You feel like a burden to others. This includes thoughts that you are better off dead than alive.
4. You feel hopeless and like you have no reason to live. There is always a reason to live, but in the moment of a severe depression crisis, you are not able to think of one.
5. You talk about wanting to die toward other people. This can be as simple as saying, “Would you miss me if I died?” or “I can’t wait to die.”
6. You are separating yourself from what is important to you. Often, this includes pulling away from friends or giving away prized possessions. You may even be saying goodbyes to people either physically or through letters.
7. You are participating in reckless behaviors. Some people drive too fast or seek thrilling and risky activities. Others stop looking in both directions when crossing the street.
8. Your depression symptoms are becoming overwhelming. This includes being constantly anxious, agitated, or angry. It might also mean sleeping more than usual or staying up longer.

Treatment is the best way to manage severe depression. For many people, it will not go away on its own. A combination of medication and psychotherapy is what many people who have severe depression need to manage the disorder successfully. You do not have to be on medication forever. Still, taking medication early on makes learning the skills and habits taught through cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) more accessible. 

CBT teaches you how to change the harmful thoughts of severe depression into productive ones. Skills often taught in this type of therapy include identifying these thoughts, developing positive relationships, learning coping skills, and gaining a sense of satisfaction and control in your life. 

Therapy is also a great place to form connections with others. Having a sense of community eases depression symptoms because isolation and loneliness may worsen the disorder. Not everyone has a support system to lean on. Attending treatment for severe depression provides you with this support. 

When someone has severe depression, it makes self-care difficult. However, it is still beneficial. If someone you love is experiencing severe depression, encourage your loved one to take a walk around the house. You can even join them on this walk. Even if that is the only thing they do all day, with time, those small accomplishments improve their self-esteem and make it easier to manage their thoughts and emotions. 

Attending depression treatment is lifesaving for many individuals who have severe depression. No-cost care assessments allow professionals to work with you and your doctors to create a care plan for a happier, more secure life. 

At SUN Behavioral Health Delaware, we solve unmet needs in Georgetown. We provide inpatient treatment to both adults and adolescents who have severe depression. Through our program, they will learn skills to grow and develop into who they want to be. For more information about our depression treatment options, contact us at 302-604-5600 today.

How do you cope with severe depression?

The best way to cope and manage severe depression is through depression treatment. Through a combination of medication and therapy, you will gain skills and tools that allow you to heal from this disorder. 

What would be considered severe depression?

Severe depression is a part of the later stages of depression. When someone is experiencing it, they have a complex time functioning and might be unable to get out of bed in the morning. Sometimes, they have thoughts of suicide or a fear that something terrible will happen.