IS IT DEPRESSION OR A COVID FUNK?

Aaron Anderson

With Covid-19 shutting down your gym, your favorite restaurant, and even your hair stylist, it’s pretty easy to get into a funk. All the things that you used to like to do you just can’t anymore. And you can’t go out with your friends, either. So you find yourself watching endless hours of Netflix, baking and putting on weight. There’s nothing much else to do. It’s the same routine day after day. And you feel like you’re in a funk. But covid-19 has been going on long enough that you’re beginning to wonder if it’s something more serious. Could it even be depression?

With everything going on around Covid-19 right now, it’s normal to feel like you’re in a funk. But it’s also pretty normal to go into a depression, too. So how do you know when it’s a coronavirus funk or when it’s depression? And more importantly, what do you do about either one.

When is it a Coronavirus Funk?

When you’re in a funk, you feel disoriented and maybe even a little moody. A great example of when you might have felt like this is anytime there was a lot of change in your life. Maybe this was when you moved to college, got married, or started a new job. You probably felt disoriented for a while. You maybe even felt a little “homesick” where you wanted to see your old friends again and go back to things you were more used to. This is a great example of a typical “funk”.

When you’re in a funk, you often feel disoriented and out of place. It makes sense that you’d feel this way when you left for college or when you got married because you really were out of place and disoriented while you were trying to figure out and adapt to all the new changes. You maybe even felt a little moody at times and unmotivated during others. This is normal. This a natural way of responding when you’re suddenly hit with a lot of changes. Over time, you probably figured out what you were doing, adapted, and found a new way of doing things. Once you felt more comfortable with the new circumstances and made some new routines, that funk probably went away and you were back to your old self again.

Coronavirus funk is very common right now. There have been a lot of changes that have happened all the sudden. You’re not able to see your friends or family as much as you did, you’re not able to exercise or go out to places you enjoy, etc. And these changes are hard to adapt to. You’ve literally built a lifestyle around doing these things. And now that this lifestyle has changed it feels awkward. You maybe even feel irritated and moody. If this is what you’re feeling then you’re probably in a covid funk. The best thing you can do right now is pro-actively adapt to your situation. Here’s a great article from The Marriage and Family Clinic in Westminster, CO on how to adapt to covid-19. 

When is it Depression?

Depression during covid-19 is very common as well. In fact, approximately 1/3rd of the world’s population had depression before coronavirus and it’s expected to increase even more during it. Depression can seem a lot like a funk but it has some unique traits that makes it a lot more than just a funk.

First of all, one of the most distinguishing factors of depression are the feelings of guilt, sadness and worthlessness. These three feelings make up a wicked cocktail that are different from just feeling disoriented and moody. These are much more pervasive feelings and have a much more real and permanent feeling to them.

Another distinguishing factor of depression is feelings of what’s called anhedonia. It’s a big psychobabble word but it just simply means the inability to feel pleasure. When you’re depressed you don’t really feel like doing much because nothing really sounds that interesting or even entertaining. And it’s pretty global, too. You can do a lot of different things but you just don’t really feel like you’re that into any of them. You’re just simply going through the motions.

One more distinguishing factor is feeling lethargic or sluggish throughout the day. When you’re in a funk, you’ll go out and enjoy what you do. You’ll feel energetic and excited to go do it and feel that way while you’re doing it, too. But with depression, you’re just sluggish during the activity. You’re a bit slower and maybe even feel distracted while you’re trying to do it.

And the biggest one of all, is that with depression you may feel suicidal or like you just want to fall asleep and not wake up. If you’re feeling this way, it is absolutely not a funk. Take this seriously and see a counselor right away. They can help you.

Regardless of whether you’re feeling in a COVID funk or feeling depressed, seeking help from a licensed counselor can help you. They can help you make changes you need to get into a better place and feel better soon. They can also help you find the tools and resources you need to get you through COVID and your depression so you can go confidently into COVID and come out better in the end.