Are you having a hard time paying attention? Do you no longer find joy in activities you normally love? Do you feel irritable for no reason? Do you lack motivation? Do you sleep too little or too much? If you have one or more of these symptoms, you may have depression.

Depression is a real disease, and it can have life threatening consequences. It is incredibly common. According to the World Health Organization one in every 20 adults are depressed.

Depression can be caused by many different problems. Sometimes it can be a consequence of nutritional deficiencies. As days become shorter and shorter it becomes increasingly difficult to get sunlight, especially for those of us who work 8-5 jobs. Your body needs sunlight to activate vitamin D. Many of my patients who come to me this time of year with fatigue and poor mood end up having low vitamin D.

The evidence that vitamin D helps with mood varies. However, a large review of 61 studies on vitamin D in depression did show low vitamin D is associated with depression. In my experience sometimes a vitamin D supplement makes a huge difference. Sometimes it doesn’t.

Thyroid can also be a cause of poor mood. If your skin is dry and you are losing hair these may be other symptoms that your thyroid may be off. Fixing a thyroid problem can make a huge difference in anyone’s life.

Another common metabolic cause of poor mood is anemia. This is common in women with heavy menstruation. Anemia also might cause legs to feel restless at night. Fatigue is another symptom of anemia. Most of the time, an iron supplement is all you need to fix anemia.

One shotgun treatment to poor mood is exercise. Exercise is healthy for you and releases mood boosting hormones in your brain. Regular exercise does wonders for mood, self-esteem, and physical health.

Depression can be caused by psychological trauma. Feeling sad from a bad or trying experience like the death of a loved one can be normal. However, sometimes it may be the cause of clinical depression. This is especially true if you continue to struggle to do everyday activities three months after the traumatic event. This can be helped with counseling or medication.

Counseling is a wonderful thing. There are no side effects, and it can provide you with the tools you need to cope with overwhelming feelings. Some people love in-person sessions. For those who struggle with in-person counseling, either for transportation or schedule concerns, online counseling is becoming more and more available.

Medications can be effective and lifesaving. Every medication has its side effects, but fortunately we live in a day when we have lots of options. Talk to a provider. If you are diagnosed with depression and have no underlying medical causes, it is likely there is a medication that will work well for you. Life is short. It is normal that some of it is sad and hard. However, there is no reason to suffer through treatable medical diseases that cause feelings of depression. Nor should you suffer through depression and anxiety alone. There is help. There are solutions.