Marcus, a former high-performer, describes slipping into clinical depression: losing passion, unable to get out of bed, turning off his phone, abandoning hobbies. The warning signs are subtle. Increasing isolation, loss of activities you loved, and stopping goal-setting often come first.
What are some of the warning signs that are not so obvious? What would you say to the audience that's listening to this that would be great ways to maybe throw up a flag that someone might need some help?
Generally speaking, I would say everyone that comes to our program, for example, wants to get unstuck. They want to feel again. They want to live again. They want to be excited for something or feel like they belong to something. Some of the red flags that I could identify in hindsight would be becoming more isolated. Marcus has always been a high performer since I met him when he was 20 years old. He was very very active, and those things really dissipated. He no longer set goals or surfed, played golf.
I didn't have passion for anything. I didn't want to get out of bed. I had definitely diagnosed clinical depression where for days I did not want to do anything. I didn't want to speak to anybody. I would turn my phone off. That's what happens when you get into these dark places where you just don't want to do anything. And all the things that I really enjoyed just kind of went away.
