Who Can Experience Depression?

This is a question that often crosses the minds of those fortunate enough not to have encountered depression personally. The answer, however, is straightforward: there is no specific “type” of person who can develop depression. It can affect literally anyone. You could be a high-achiever, functioning at a high level in your career, and still grapple with depression. It can strike a new mother in the form of postpartum depression, manifest as seasonal depression, overwhelm an individual who has faced numerous challenges in life, or even affect someone leading a regular life but struggling to find purpose. It doesn’t discriminate based on color, age, or gender.

In 2023, in the US alone, 23% of the population had received a depression diagnosis at some point, and over 17% reported experiencing it at the time (GALUP). This data is derived from those who have reported their experiences. Many of us, however, don’t seek professional help or discuss our emotions when they begin to dominate our lives. In numerous households, the response might be a dismissive “pull yourself together,” and life carries on. Depression is a grave concern, capable of draining joy from your existence and, in severe cases, leading to thoughts of suicide. If you’re feeling this way and you’re in the US, please dial 988.

To receive a diagnosis of depression, one must experience these feelings for a minimum of two weeks. Feeling sad or low, however, doesn’t immediately equate to clinical depression.

Brain Coach For Depression

As a brain coach, I work with individuals who are struggling with depression. Clinically, some may require medication—such as those dealing with bipolar disorder, enduring prolonged clinical depression, or recovering from a traumatic brain injury resulting in damage to the brain. For others, we may attempt to address their depression through non-medical approaches, employing a range of methods like Neuroencoding, coating , hypobaric oxygenating chamber, supplements, physical activity, EMDR ( if depression is related to trauma) meditation or targeting rewiring of your neuropathways to rewire their brains. It is also important that if you were put on medication you do not take yourself of, of them with out help of your doctor and seeing the progress.

Most people benefit from the guidance of a specialist to emerge from the state of depression. You can seek support from coaches, psychologists, therapists, or psychiatrists. Seeking help tends to expedite the journey back to normalcy. It’s important to remember that if you do resort to medication, it should be viewed as a temporary solution. I encourage you to also work on the underlying factors that led you to this point, so you can eventually transition off medication once you see improvement and have acquired effective tools to navigate life in a different manner. Remember, you’re not alone on this journey.