Poll: Have you experienced depressive symptoms over the past two weeks?

I draw my strength from the yellow sun. Over the last two weeks my home has tilted ever farther from it. I feel the familiar ebbing of the light.

I’ve gotten better at mitigating it over the years. Vitamin D supplementation, light box therapy every morning, and near daily exercise is key. Getting the routine dialed in before mid-November is crucial.

>So is that depression?

Yep, but the cause in your case is unknown. For example, it could be work burnout causing it. It could be not going outside that is causing it. It could be not socializing that is causing it. It could be your diet. It could be ...

If you can identify the cause you can find a solution. Unfortunately, the best most people have is a shotgun approach where they try a combination of solutions attempting to address every possible cause.

When in a depressed state it makes you want to lay down, to do less. It's exhausting and depending on how bad the depression is sleeping seems better. For the majority, doing the exact opposite of how you feel works to get out of that state, which isn't easy for many, so it helps to take it slow. Sometimes just walking around in a circle in your house for 15-20 minutes can sometimes be enough. This can be done without getting dressed or even thinking about it. It can be done while cooking food or going to the bathroom. It's only 15 minutes and for many that is enough exercise to start feeling not drained again.

For many today depression can be caused by doing too much instant gratification type activities in your free time, which can cause that feeling drained feeling. I find having a hobby can help a lot, because then you're not bored. I find getting a hobby can be hard. It can come from a need, like being aggravated with something and wanting to improve it, but it also comes as a side effect from socializing with people. People talking about what they've been up to, what they're passionate about, or even what they hate, can all plant seeds of inspiration that can eventually lead to a hobby. So for some the solution to this kind of depression is socializing.

And it goes on. This is why talking to a professional (preferably someone who specializes in CBT, but it's not required) can help. It typically only takes a few months of therapy to get out of most kinds of depression.

Counter anecdata: This year has been an insufferable slog, but in the last month or so, I've felt better than I have at any other time this year. It started a week or two before I quit Twitter, which I think rules out quitting social mass media as a factor?

It's been a long, hard year, and for once I'm doing better in it, even if the outside world seems to be going to hell. It seems the inverse of what should be going on as we head into winter, but I'll take it.

I wouldn’t say I feel depressed, but there’s an overarching feeling of claustrophobic suffocation that the confluence of current events is causing. It’s a feeling of foreboding. Some subconscious part of my brain is predicting a future that none of us wants to see. So depression? No. Fear? Definitely.