Dear Anonymous,
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) classifies depression as a Mood Disorder. With that being said, I have also found it common that many experience severe lows at any point during the day. I have found that some people experience increased energy as the day progresses.Research suggests that the extreme fluctuations in mood, energy, and motivation present in many people with depression may be caused by a misalignment of the body’s internal clock and external time of day. This is called Diurnal Mood Variation (DMV). One study concluded DMV is common in people with major depressive disorder and people who experience any type of DMV have more melancholic symptoms than those who do not.Melancholy would look like, one of the following:
- Loss of Pleasure in all or almost, activities
- Lack of reactivity to usually pleasurable event (does not feel much better, even temporarily, when something good happens.)
Three of the following:
- Depressed mood or empty mood.
- Depression that is regularly worse in the morning.
- Early Morning Awakening
- Weight loss
- Excessive guilt or inappropriate guilt
So what can you do to combat feeling bad in the morning? First I’d recommend you see a doctor to rule out any sleep disorders that may be causing sleep deprivation. Second, purpose in your heart to make intentional time with the Lord each morning and renewing your mind before the start of your day. Third, I would recommend seeing a Christian Counselor in your area to help you sort out where the majority of your thoughts head to once you wake up.
Psalm 139:2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.
There is Hope for Healing,
Vanessa Cruz, MA, LPC
Sources:
Major Depressive Disorder: afternoon and evening diurnal variation is common, Greg Murray 2008
