When All Else Fails, Stare at Your Phone...Right!?
You know that if you would quit smoking, start exercising three days a week, make plans with a friend, keep a gratitude journal, and start eating healthier, you’d be happier, right? You also should “Breathe, and let it go” and know that “Dark days don’t linger for long,” like those Instagram posts tagged #happiness read.
But Then You Feel Worse
There you are, lying in bed, scrolling aimlessly through your phone and wishing you did not need to go to the bathroom because you don’t even have the energy to sit up. You slept 8.5 hours last night, like most nights, yet you don’t feel rested. In fact, you’re exhausted, and there’s zero desire inside of you to get up for class, for work, for breakfast. The new antidepressant your doctor started you on five weeks ago hasn’t made a difference, and you are so sick of changing medications.
Additional reading: SSRIs vs Ketamine Infusions: Everything You Need To Know
So, you continue to scroll through Facebook, looking at pictures of couples smiling, one friend’s weight loss before/after shots, another’s motivational quote for the day, and a shared Bible verse on the importance of having faith. ‘Faith in what!?,’ you ask aloud, and force yourself to roll out of bed, feeling worse about your pathetic life than you did an hour ago.
When Social Media is Not Your 'Friend'
Depression can be dark, heavy, and powerful, frighteningly so. It can leave you feeling hopeless and defeated before you even begin your day, making the simplest of tasks seem overwhelming, if not impossible. Isolation is a sister of depression. Add a cell phone, or a computer, and hours of scrolling online…just you and your mind…and your symptoms worsen.
Does scrolling on social media cause depression? Check out this 2016 study on the association between social media use and depression on young adults: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/da.22466/full
You Are Not Alone, and You Can Find Help
You are not alone. In 2015, an estimated 10.3 million adults in the United States had at least one major depressive episode causing severe impairment – in their abilities to work, manage their homes, maintain close relationships, and participate in social outings.
Help is available. Contact us at 877-998-2002, or click here: www.neuromendcenter.com to learn more about how your depression might be treated.