Am I depressed?

During pregnancy, you may be happy one minute and sad the next. This has to do with changes with your hormones. Everyone feels sad once in a while. But feeling sad all the time may mean that you’re depressed. Depression is not your fault. Often it will not go away on its own. Those thoughts and feelings that might be bringing you down are worth taking seriously. There are people who want to help you.

Reach out to someone if:

• You feel like you have no energy
• You’re up all night and can’t sleep, or all you want to do is sleep
• You feel angry or restless
• You feel overwhelmed, hopeless, and upset
• You feel worthless and guilty
• You can’t focus or make a decision
• You don’t want to eat or cannot stop eating
• You’re crying a lot
• You want to stay away from friends and family
• You feel like you want to hurt yourself

Your pregnancy should be a happy time in your life. If you think that you may be depressed, don’t be afraid to reach out. Help is available. The best thing you can do if you think you’re depressed is talk to your doctor. They can get you the help you need like medications or counseling. Having someone to talk to about your feelings and concerns is the first step to feeling better.

Local resources:

• MiSide offers various avenues of counseling for your whole family.
• Covenant Community Care offers services to help you address struggles with depression, anxiety, and stress. They have locations in Southwest Detroit.
• The University of Detroit Mercy Counseling Clinic located in Northwest Detroit offers free services to the community for individual, family, and group counseling.
• CNS Healthcare offers group and family therapy, crisis intervention, and other support services.
• Detroit-Wayne Integrated Health Network: This organization provides access to behavioral health services and crisis management resources. They also have a 24 hour Crisis Care Center that operates seven days a week. You can either call 313-989-9444 or you can walk-in to their in-person location found at 707 W. Milwaukee Ave. Detroit, MI 48202.