If you have been feeling restless, lethargic or emotionally empty since the pandemic began, you may be a victim of ‘sadness’. Sadness is described as an emotional state of worthlessness, aimlessness, and a bad mood, which can last for a long time. Although sadness is not considered a mental health disorder in itself, it can eventually lead to anxiety or depression. Many people may have experienced – or still are – experiencing this lethargy without really knowing what it is or why they are feeling that way.
In fact, an international study that looked at data from participants in 78 different countries between April and June 2020 found that 10% of people experienced a bad mood during the pandemic. The causes of sadness vary from person to person – although they can result from a number of factors, such as stress, trauma, or even a change in routine. But the good news is that lethargy doesn’t last forever, and there are many things you can do to improve your mental state.
Sadness vs Depression Sadness can be the first step in depression or can be present with depression. But while the two may share some similarities, they are also different in many ways – this can be mainly detected by the symptoms. Depression can be identified by emotional, mental, behavioral, and physical symptoms—including fatigue, sleeping too much or too little, weight loss or gain, negative thoughts, negative feelings, or suicidal thoughts.
In lethargy, some of the symptoms may be similar to those of depression, such as having negative emotions. But you can also identify with it when you feel like you have no control over your life and aren’t able to break through or change it, and don’t socialize with your community (with friends or family). able to keep Although sadness is not considered a mental health disorder, it can be challenging to tolerate – and for some may even be more difficult than experiencing depression.
The research found that compared to the experiences of people with mental health disorders, those found depressed did not know what they wanted from life, were unable to set goals for the foreseeable future, and were unable to cope with adversity. But he made no effort to deal with them. On the other hand, people with depression, anxiety, and even alcohol addiction felt more likely to help them plan, take action to improve their situation, and know what they wanted from their lives.
These contrasting experiences give us insight into why this condition can be such a challenging situation for those experiencing lethargy. If someone has a mental health problem, people may know better how to deal with and improve the condition, or at least be able to access services and treatments (such as therapy) that can help them. . But since lethargy is not considered a mental health disorder, people may not know why they feel that way, and may not be able to get the help they need from their doctor or other mental health services.
However, this does not mean that experiencing depression is not a challenging condition. But since lethargy is not classified as a mental disorder and can turn into depression, it is important to take measures to improve your mental health as soon as possible. To better understand how to reduce lethargy, it is important to understand the difference between lethargy and hyperactivity (people who experience higher levels of mental health).
We know from previous research that hyperactive people are seven times less likely to experience depression than people who are depressed and in similar situations (such as lethargy). Hyperactivity has also been shown to be an aversion to depression. While both sluggish and hyperactive people value their lives, goals, and relationships, sluggish people tend to be more self-oriented – seeking to find their own meaning and improve their happiness. On the other hand, hyperactive people tend to focus more on others and contribute to greater good things. Sluggish and hyper-agile people also have a different way of connecting with their environment. While both groups value relationships, sluggish people felt that their pets or possessions were most important to them, while hyperactive people felt that connecting with their society, community, or culture was most important.
This suggests that hyper-agile people are more focused on connecting with other people – while sluggish people look for alternative ways to feel connected. We don’t know if it’s because lethargic people aren’t well and become more self-centered, or if they experience lethargy because of being self-centered. But we do know that by taking lessons from agile and active people, those people who are lethargic or depressed for some reason can improve their life. We know that it is difficult to remain in an aimless limbo, it is important to remember that doing something is better than doing nothing. Even if it’s something small like admitting you’re sad and talking to a friend and then seeing how you’re feeling. Doing something to make your situation better is the first step towards making a positive difference to it.
Jolanta Burke, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences
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