Is it Depression? Signs, Symptoms and Treatment Options

Many people dealing with depression can benefit from treatment. The right tools can help you feel like yourself again. The first step is spotting the signs that you may be struggling with depression. 

Veterans dealing with depression are not alone. A survey* conducted by Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) found depression was the fourth most common health issue self-reported by WWP™ warriors. More than half of the warriors registered with WWP reported moderate to severe depressive symptoms.

If you, or someone you know, needs support, you can call, text, or chat with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.  

Call 988 or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting "TALK" to 741741

Fortunately, there are resources that can significantly reduce depression symptoms. There are also opportunities to connect with peers who will understand and support your journey.

Spot the Signs of Depression: When to Consider Treatment

Everyone's experience with depression can be different. 

Not everyone will have the same symptoms, but it’s important to recognize the signs and the and impacts on your everyday life. Ignoring symptoms can create more challenges.

You might benefit from depression therapy or treatment if you're living with the following symptoms.

1. Little or no interest in activities that used to be fun

Have you suddenly lost interest in your hobbies? Do you no longer enjoy time with your friends or loved ones? Have you tried watching a funny movie but felt numb? Depression can take away the joy you usually get from your favorite things when you need that joy the most.

2. More irritable and angry, or easily upset

Are you getting upset more often than you have before? Do little things that have not previously bothered you suddenly get under your skin? Maybe you feel like your family is walking on eggshells around you. Depression can make it harder to manage emotions and respond calmly. It's normal to have bad moods sometimes, but depression can leave you feeling like you're in a constant cloud of anger.

3. Hard to concentrate or make decisions

Having trouble paying attention at work? Forget why you walked into a room? Do you read things but immediately forget what you read? When it's time to make a choice, do you feel stuck or just not care? Depression can make it challenging to focus and remember details, significantly affecting daily life. This sometimes makes it hard to maintain a job or care for your family.

4. Struggling with self-care

Have you stopped showering regularly? What about brushing your teeth, grooming your hair, or even getting dressed for the day? Depression can make basic care feel like a massive chore. This can lead to health issues and struggles with self-esteem that can make depression feel worse.

5. Ongoing feelings of helplessness

Do you find yourself saying, "What's the point?" Have you given up on ever feeling happy again? Or maybe you still want happiness but feel trapped by the current feelings around you. Many people who are depressed start to feel like there’s no light at the end of the tunnel. Remember, hope is always possible. Exploring treatment options can be a helpful step toward feeling like yourself again.

Every case is unique. Not everyone deals with all these symptoms, but ignoring these signs can sometimes lead to worsening problems and other impacts on everyday life.

How to Get Help for Depression and Find Effective Treatment

Since every person’s experience with depression is different, treatment and support need to be individualized, too.

“Warriors tell us they want to feel like themselves again after service, but too often they face fears or barriers when seeking help,” said Ryan Kules, an Army veteran and teammate at WWP who also serves as director of Project Odyssey, an adventure-based mental health program. “Wounded Warrior Project has many options and resources for treatment for both warriors and their family members. Through our triage process, we help match warriors to the programs that fit their needs and the unique path they are on to gain control of their thoughts and feelings.”

Kules noted that since depression can stem from other challenges, WWP provides additional resources to support a warrior’s overall quality of life and well-being as well as their loved ones.

Some of Wounded Warrior Project's options include:

• Emotional Support: WWP Talk helps warriors and family support members plan individualized paths toward personal growth. During a weekly phone call, participants receive emotional support and help setting goals. These calls help break down the barriers of isolation.
   
• Accelerated Brain Health Programs: Warrior Care Network is a partnership between WWP and four academic medical centers to treat PTSD and traumatic brain injury (TBI). Innovative therapies pack a year of treatment into a two- to three-week intensive outpatient program.

• Non-Clinical Mental Wellness: Project Odyssey is a 12-week mental wellness program that uses adventure-based learning to help warriors learn coping and communication skills while connecting with fellow warriors, couples, or families.
   
• Peer Support: Year-round events happening across the country to help warriors reconnect and bond with other veterans who understand their obstacles and give them a shoulder to lean on.
   
• Family Support: Warriors aren’t the only ones with invisible wounds of war, so family and caregiver support programs give a warrior’s loved ones tools to heal and feel empowered.
   
• Career and Financial Wellness: Worrying about how to pay the bills can contribute to depression. WWP has financial education programs to help warriors feel in control, and Warriors to Work can help warriors and family members find employment, learn skills, and career counseling.
   
• Benefits Services: Navigating the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) can be overwhelming. WWP Benefits Services’ VA-accredited representatives assist warriors with filing for benefits, including health care benefits, disability compensation, and caregiver benefits.

How to Start Your Journey to Recovery: Seeking Help for Depression

If you think depression might be affecting you, reach out for support—it’s a step toward feeling like yourself again. Asking for help with mental health can feel intimidating, but you are not alone, said Kules. 

"Warriors often feel other people have it worse, or they’re intimidated to ask for help, but thousands of warriors make that ask for support every year from WWP. It's a big step, but it’s brave and can change your life.”

Veterans and their loved ones dealing with depression can contact Wounded Warrior Project to learn about free programs and support designed for post-9/11 veterans. Call the WWP Resource Center at 888-997-2586 or email resourcecenter@woundedwarriorproject.org.

Learn more about how WWP helps warriors, family members, and caregivers through mental health support programs.

Contact: — Kaitlin Fohlin, Public Relations, kfohlin@woundedwarriorproject.org, 904.776.7169

About Wounded Warrior Project

Since 2003, Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) has been meeting the growing needs of warriors, their families, and caregivers — helping them achieve their highest ambition. Learn more about Wounded Warrior Project. 

*Warrior Survey, Wave 2 (conducted June 15-Aug. 24, 2002)