Thank you for this. I've never heard or considered the fact that depression has a spectrum and now laid out like this, it's like "of course it does!" I have Bipolar 2 that was misdiagnosed as Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) so reading your post I could definitely identify the different parts of the spectrum that my own episodes fall on.
Thank you for sharing your personal journey with depression and your thoughts on the depression spectrum. It's incredibly courageous to open up about your experiences and to reflect on the complexities of mental health. Mental health is indeed highly individualised, and the linear spectrum doesn't always capture the full range and nuances of people's experiences. Your sharing on double depression and its place on the spectrum is thought-provoking, but identifiable for some of us. Thank you for your willingness to explore these complex topics on behalf of the community. 🌟💙🗣️
I had to read this twice. Once, slowly, as the revelations hit me along the way, and then a second time in Readwise Reader to highlight key points. I love the spiral staircase and octave analogies. Next, I need to order that book.
I just came across this article now. Thank you for exploring this idea of a spectrum. It’s given me something I hadn’t thought of before to help describe my depression. (MDD here) Usually I’m presented with the linear scale of 1 to 10 and where may mood falls within that structure, but it encompasses so much more than “mood.” There’s the physical aspects as well. Can I get out of bed earlier today, can I do more or less activity, can I actually think somewhat clearly or is it all foggy and disjointed, can I express myself in an understandable way, and can I even form a creative thought. I think the depression actually leaches my creative energy from me and makes it difficult to even access it, or maybe it’s just the meds. Food for thought.
Absolutely understand all of that. I deal with a lot of physical fatigue, a lot of difficult sleep patterns, and that definitely impacts my creative energy. And meds can also make a big impact. There are a lot of factors. And "mood" is such an elusive concept!
"...I wasn’t experiencing mania, exactly; my manic episodes consisted of those precious days and weeks during which I felt normal.” God, this also hit me hard. Learning that I had PDD was so helpful for me, because it validated my experience of often having that low-level depression that didn't feel quite as bad as major depression but just. kept. going.
Thank you for writing so eloquently about this--you brought up so many thought-provoking points that I'll be thinking about for a long time.
Thank you for this. I've never heard or considered the fact that depression has a spectrum and now laid out like this, it's like "of course it does!" I have Bipolar 2 that was misdiagnosed as Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) so reading your post I could definitely identify the different parts of the spectrum that my own episodes fall on.
Thank you for sharing your personal journey with depression and your thoughts on the depression spectrum. It's incredibly courageous to open up about your experiences and to reflect on the complexities of mental health. Mental health is indeed highly individualised, and the linear spectrum doesn't always capture the full range and nuances of people's experiences. Your sharing on double depression and its place on the spectrum is thought-provoking, but identifiable for some of us. Thank you for your willingness to explore these complex topics on behalf of the community. 🌟💙🗣️
I had to read this twice. Once, slowly, as the revelations hit me along the way, and then a second time in Readwise Reader to highlight key points. I love the spiral staircase and octave analogies. Next, I need to order that book.
I just came across this article now. Thank you for exploring this idea of a spectrum. It’s given me something I hadn’t thought of before to help describe my depression. (MDD here) Usually I’m presented with the linear scale of 1 to 10 and where may mood falls within that structure, but it encompasses so much more than “mood.” There’s the physical aspects as well. Can I get out of bed earlier today, can I do more or less activity, can I actually think somewhat clearly or is it all foggy and disjointed, can I express myself in an understandable way, and can I even form a creative thought. I think the depression actually leaches my creative energy from me and makes it difficult to even access it, or maybe it’s just the meds. Food for thought.
Absolutely understand all of that. I deal with a lot of physical fatigue, a lot of difficult sleep patterns, and that definitely impacts my creative energy. And meds can also make a big impact. There are a lot of factors. And "mood" is such an elusive concept!
I hadn’t heard of a lot of these terms before, but now that I have, I feel a penny dropping into the slot. Thank you.
Happy to share my pennies. Totally open to additional thoughts/ questions.
"...I wasn’t experiencing mania, exactly; my manic episodes consisted of those precious days and weeks during which I felt normal.” God, this also hit me hard. Learning that I had PDD was so helpful for me, because it validated my experience of often having that low-level depression that didn't feel quite as bad as major depression but just. kept. going.
Thank you for writing so eloquently about this--you brought up so many thought-provoking points that I'll be thinking about for a long time.