Here’s how we’re using community to manage clinical depression in 2025
Content warnings: This article addresses difficult subject matters like thoughts of suicide, death, and self-harm. If this is a mental health emergency, we encourage you to seek help from a trusted loved one. You can also text the Crisis Text Line (HOME to 741741), call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988, or call 911.
With more than 21 million adults in the U.S. experiencing it every year, clinical depression is one of the most common mental health conditions. Like other diagnoses, it exists on a spectrum — depending on your symptoms, depression can make you feel isolated, empty, and tired, but can also cause thoughts of suicide or death, too. It’s important to utilize community-based resources to work through any feelings of depression you’re experiencing, regardless of whether that means spending extra time with loved ones, confiding in a friend, joining local activity groups, or giving your pet more hugs than usual.
Below, you can learn everything there is to know about clinical depression, ranging from its causes to treatment options — and, perhaps most importantly, how to combat those difficult feelings.
What is clinical depression?
Clinical depression is a mental health condition. Categorized as a mood disorder, depression can be brought on by a big life change or genetics. There are also different types of depression, like post-partum depression (brought on by giving birth), seasonal affective disorder (typically caused by a change in the seasons, like fall to winter), and persistent depressive disorder, which is a longer-lasting form of depression.
If you’re feeling depressed, it’s important to know that there’s nothing wrong with you. It’s an extremely common condition that impacts all types of people, regardless of gender, age, race, or nationality.
Clinical depression symptoms and signs of depression
Depression can be categorized by a myriad of symptoms, but here are some of the most common.
- Consistently feeling down, blue, or sad
- Persistent fatigue or exhaustion
- Loss of interest in things you used to enjoy/loss of interest in life
- Irritability
- Hopelessness or feeling unworthy
- Isolation, including not wanting to hang out with loved ones
- Sleeping too much or too little
- Eating too much or too little
- Struggling to perform daily tasks or hygiene
- Thoughts of suicide, death, or suicidal ideation
No symptom of depression is better or worse than the other. They can all be extremely difficult to experience, and while it may be tempting to self-isolate, it may be more important than ever to reach out to your support system and ask for help.
This can look different for everyone, but may include:
- Meeting with your therapist, psychiatrist, or primary care provider
- Texting a friend
- Calling a family member
- Meeting a loved one for lunch or coffee
- Hugging your pet
- Talking to your roommate
- Joining or going to local community events
- Going to a public space like a coffee shop, library, or art studio just to be surrounded by other people
Clinical depression causes
While it may be easy to imagine there’s one central cause for feelings of depression, it varies for everyone. It can be brought on by a big life change (giving birth, going through a breakup, losing your job, moving) or genetics, especially if someone in your family also has depression.
Some other causes can include:
- Medications: If you’ve recently gone on a new medication, make sure to check the side effects, especially if you’ve never experienced depression before. You can also reach out to your prescribing doctor to let them know you’re feeling depressed after starting the new medication — they may change the dosage or put you on another med entirely.
- Biological factors: For some people, it’s simply about their brain, which may make too much or too little of a certain chemical. This doesn’t change anything about their personality or ability to function; it just means that they may be at a higher risk for mental health conditions like depression.
- Other physical or emotional conditions: Some illnesses or conditions have been linked to depression, like cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and chronic pain.
Treatments for clinical depression
Therapy
Therapy, especially cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and interpersonal therapy, is an extremely useful way to combat feelings of depression. If you’ve never been to therapy before, there’s nothing to be scared of — Community Minds makes it easy because we prioritize our clients' needs and lifestyles. We accept a variety of insurance networks (and keep rates low if you’re not insured), and we’re open 7 days a week.
Get started with clinical depression care at Community Minds
Medication and psychiatry
Medication is another popular way to treat clinical depression. Regardless of the medication someone may be on, it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution, and it will still require regular check-ins with your psychiatrist and other resources, like therapy or holistic treatments. That being said, it can be very effective for those with depression.
Get started with clinical depression care at Community Minds
Finding community
We can’t emphasize enough how useful community can be. Utilizing these resources can be a huge tool, and we offer assets like group therapy to help you with just that.
Frequently asked questions
How to help someone with depression
The most important thing you can do for someone with depression is be there for them. It’s helpful to reach out and ask them what they need, whether it be a shoulder to lean on, a partner to run errands with, or simply someone just to talk to.
Be patient with them, acknowledge their emotions, and don’t belittle their feelings to just “being sad.” It’s more than that, and it’ll likely take a bit for them to manage everything they’re going through.
If it’s useful for them, you can help them find resources, suggest finding a therapist or psychiatrist, or encourage daily self-care like eating, brushing their teeth, or taking a shower.
Is alcohol a depressant?
Yes. According to Addiction Center, alcohol and hangovers can increase feelings of anxiety and stress. It’s also categorized as a central nervous system depressant, which is a substance or medication that slows brain activity.
Takeaway
Clinical depression can be scary and difficult to deal with, but the most important thing to know is that you’re not alone. In fact, you’ll never be alone — through resources like therapy, psychiatry, and community, feelings of depression can slowly become manageable, even if it doesn’t feel like it at the time.
