OK, Are We All Feeling Low-Key Depressed These Days?
An expert is here to tell you — it’s a thing.
You know that moment where you realize you have to get up off the couch right this very minute or you may never get up again? Some of us call it rotting or festering, while others may call a morning spent feeling blah and gross just one of those days. But apparently the internet wants us to name it “low-key” depression.
And honestly, it’s an apt term.
I do not find labels to be particularly helpful for myself, but understand that naming a feeling like “low-key” depression can be incredibly beneficial for others. It can feel less like a hole you have to dig yourself out of and more like a a small dark cloud following you. While those who feel low-key depressed may not want or need medication, experts say it is still absolutely a thing.
“There's even a clinical diagnosis for it,” Chloe Lankshear, LMFT and owner of Chloe Lankshear Therapy tells Scary Mommy. “Dysthymia or Persistent Depressive Disorder, which is basically a kind of long-term, low-key depression.”
But Lankshear says not everyone with low-key depression will meet the criteria for a clinical diagnosis. “For some, it may come in shorter waves of feeling melancholy or low. Exercise, sleep, a healthy diet, and socialization — with the right people — are all great tools for treating low-key depression, as well as addressing anything situational that may be contributing.”
“Feeling low sometimes is normal, particularly for mothers who often put themselves last, but if you find yourself feeling sad, empty, pessimistic, low in energy, and not enjoying things that you used to enjoy, these are all signs that you may have low-key depression,” she says. You may find that your sleep and appetite are affected as well.
The trick with low-key depression is finding out if your feelings of meh are situational. “Look out for whether this is part of your menstrual cycle and will hopefully pass, or if there is anything situational going on in your life that is making you feel this way,” Lankshear says. “Change what can be changed to try to address what’s making you feel low, and if you are still not seeing an improvement, consider talking to a therapist for extra support.”
If any of this is clicking for you, take a deep breath. Low-key depression can show up in so many ways that honestly, it feels like it’s just kind of part of being human. There are highs and lows every day, but if you feel that drumming, persistent sadness, no matter what you do, it may be time for a clinical diagnosis.
A dysthymia diagnosis is characterized by feeling less “blue” moments and more of just a persistent state of sadness or feeling anxious or empty. It’s milder than clinical depression, but Johns Hopkins Medicine notes that dysthymia can’t always be whisked away with environmental changes or wished away by focusing on something to make you happy.
And it’s also important to note that if you’re feeling meh and also have an ADHD diagnosis (or think you do), the two can go hand-in-hand. “Adults with ADHD are three times more likely to experience depression than adults without ADHD, and there is often a complicated relationship between ADHD and depression,” says Lankshear. “This will be different for each person. If you think you have undiagnosed ADHD and are also feeling depressed, it would be a good idea to pursue a diagnosis and treatment.”
In the meantime, don’t let low-key depression feel like a closed door in your life. See if you can find the root of the problem. Are you feeling low-key depressed when you’re stressed about money, when you’re overwhelmed with the kids, when you’re more tired than usual? See if you can tweak your environment and get rid of things that aren’t serving you to help lift some of that gray cloud.
And if you still feel more meh than not each day, it might be time to talk to a therapist and see if they can help.
