Connect with us

Caribbean News

WHAT DOES DEPRESSION FEEL LIKE?

Published

on

October 6, 2023 – It’s common to feel turned upside down whenever something unexpected happens in our lives or because the state of the world is … well, not so great. When this occurs, we may often attribute our lingering sense of doom and dread to depression.

Diagnoses of depression have been on an upward trend, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic, with nearly all populations experiencing increases in depression. In The Bahamas, many persons suffered post-traumatic stress, anxiety and depression following the double impacts of Hurricane Dorian and the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2020 alone, depression wascommon among nearly 1 in 10 Americans and almost 1 in 5 adolescents and young adults (ages 18 to 25).

COVID-19 not-withstanding, current numbers reflect 5% of Americans over the age of 18 self-report regularly having feelings of depression — but what does depression really feel like? And how do you know if you’re depressed or just temporarily weighed down by everything that’s happening around you?

Clinical Psychologist at Cleveland Clinic, Ohio Dawn Potter, PsyD, explains in detail what sets depression apart from common sadness and when it’s important to reach out for help.

How depression really feels 

Depression is often characterized as “deep sadness” — but it’s actually a complex condition that’s about more than just feeling sad.

Everybody feels sad and it’s normal to feel sad sometimes. But there are a couple of differences between depression and sadness,” clarifies Dr. Potter. “One thing that sets them apart is how often it is and how long it lasts. But another is that depression comes with a whole bunch of other symptoms that are beyond the feeling of sadness. We don’t diagnose depression based on just a subjective sense of feeling sad alone.”

To receive a diagnosis of clinical depression (major depressive disorder), you would typically experience a consistent and persistent depressed mood or loss of interest in things you enjoy and/or in your day-to-day activities along with at least three or more of thefollowing symptoms for a minimum of two weeks. If you do not have both depressed mood and loss of interest, you must have four of the other symptoms:

  • Sleep disturbances, like sleeping too much or too little.
  • Low energy or fatigue.
  • Excessive feelings of guilt, shame or self-blame when it’s not warranted.
  • Difficulty concentrating or focusing.
  • Psychomotor agitation (like observable fidgeting, restlessness, pacing or difficulty sitting still) or psychomotor slowing (like reduced cognitive thinking, decreased movement and slower speech than you’re used to).
  • An increase or decrease in your appetite that may result in weight gain or weight loss.
  • Thoughts of suicide or recurring thoughts of death.

“Depression is very physiological,” says Dr. Potter. “Depression is more than feeling sad, and a person doesn’t necessarily have to feel sad to be depressed. Depression can sometimes feel like the absence of something rather than the presence of sadness.”

It’s a whole-body experience that affects your physical, mental and emotional health. If you’ve ever heard the saying, “You see the world through rose-colored glasses,” depression, says Dr. Potter, is like viewing the world through gray- or blue-colored glasses.

“With depression, you really only see the negative side of things,” she says. “Depression can cause us to have disturbances in our evaluations of ourselves and other people and it can lead us to make persistent, negative attributions about our self-worth.”

For example, someone without depression may get a bad grade on a test and think to themselves, How did I get here and how can I do better next time? They might then take the necessary steps to study more or plan more efficiently for the next exam. But someone with depression may internalize their feelings and attribute the result of their exam to having been a failure.

“It’s persistent, it’s internal and it forces you to put blinders on,” explains Dr. Potter. “It’s thinking, I’m going to fail at everything, rather than being situational, and that’s what keeps people depressed — that negative thinking.”

But solving depression isn’t always as simple as getting out of the loop of negative self-talk. For some, depression can make everything feel more difficult. You can feel like things are out of control or that you can’t focus on anything meaningful. You might feel weighed down by ruminating thoughts or feel stuck in a fog.

“For someone who’s depressed, it can be hard to take back agency in your life and you can often lose sight of the ability to do things for yourself,” notes Dr. Potter. “That’s why we suggest therapy because it can help you can find a way to do things differently and manage your symptoms if you’re given enough support and information.”

Do symptoms vary by severity? 

Some people may experience depression for shorter periods of time that seem to come and go (as tends to be the case with seasonal depression or seasonal affective disorder). That’s not to say symptoms of seasonal depression are any less severe than other types. But some people can experience symptoms of depression for prolonged extended periods of time. And the longer depression goes undiagnosed, the more severe it can become.

Persistent depressive disorder (PDD) is a form of chronic depression in which you experience symptoms of depression for most of the day on most days for two or more years. Sometimes, a major depressive episode can also occur as a result of having other mental health conditions. People who are more susceptible to experiencing depression may be diagnosed with:

In the most severe cases of depression, people may also experience elements of psychosis, a collection of symptoms that include hallucinations or delusions.

“People often self-report having anxiety and depression and we know those can coexist,” says Dr. Potter. “People with generalized anxiety disorder can be vulnerable to depression because they get exhausted from being worried all the time. And people who have experienced traumatic events or losses can also become depressed.”

When to reach out for help 

If you’re checking at least five of the boxes on symptoms of depression, it may be time to talk to a healthcare provider about getting a diagnosis for depression. And if you experience any suicidal thoughts, it’s important that you seek help from a medical professional immediately who can offer relief and assistance.

But even if you only experience a handful of symptoms or you have a baseline concern for your mental health and/or physical well-being, seeing a healthcare provider about your concerns can be beneficial.

“Even if you’re having less than five of these symptoms but you’re really having trouble with your day-to-day activities and things are feeling a lot more difficult for you to do than they normally would, or what you’re feeling is really bothering you consistently, asking for help can be an important decision to make,” stresses Dr. Potter.

“Because a lot of the symptoms have physical components to them, a healthcare provider might want to rule out other health problems or mental health conditions that could be contributing to your symptoms.”

Other resources for depression 

For anyone in need of additional assistance, these resources can be helpful in answering any questions you have and/or help you find a therapist no matter where you are with your mental health:

  • Suicide Prevention Hotline: (242)322-2763 or (242) 422-2763 (also known as theNational Hotline for Crisis Intervention)
  • The Community Counselling and Assessment Centre at Sandilands at (242) 323-3293/5.
  • Domestic Violence Hotline – (242) 376-3538
  • Domestic Violence and Counselling and Tips Unit – (242) 604-4300

“If you’re demotivated, feeling flat, empty or meaningless, you might have depression,” reiterates Dr. Potter. “You don’t want to self-diagnose, but if you recognize having any of these feelings, it’s time to talk to somebody.”

Caribbean News

Mottley Sworn in After Historic Clean Sweep in Barbados Election

Published

on

Barbados, February 12, 2026 – Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley was this afternoon officially sworn in for a third consecutive term, hours after delivering one of the most emphatic election victories in Caribbean political history — another complete capture of all 30 seats in Barbados’ House of Assembly.

The ceremony, conducted by President His Excellency Lt. Col. The Most Honourable Jeffrey Bostic, marked the formal start of a new administration following the February 11, 2026 general election, which returned the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) to power with a renewed and overwhelming mandate.

In a statement after taking the oath, Mottley said she accepted the responsibility “with humility and resolve,” thanking the people of Barbados for placing their trust in her leadership once again and urging national unity as her government begins its new term. Attorney Wilfred Abrahams was also sworn in as Attorney General.

The result is historic not only for its scale but for its consistency. This is the third straight general election in which the BLP has won every constituency, reinforcing Mottley’s dominance in national politics and extending an unmatched era of one-party control in the modern democratic period.

Voting day unfolded under the watch of a CARICOM Election Observation Mission, led by Antigua and Barbuda’s Supervisor of Elections Ian Hughes and supported by senior electoral officials from Belize and Jamaica. The team engaged key institutions ahead of the poll and monitored the process across the island.

Regional leaders were swift in their congratulations.

Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali described the outcome as “emphatic and historic,” saying the clean sweep reflected how deeply Mottley’s leadership has connected with Barbadians and expressing optimism about strengthening ties between the two countries.

Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness also hailed the victory, noting that her re-election provides an opportunity to deepen cooperation within CARICOM and advance shared regional priorities.

The scale of the win again leaves Barbados without a parliamentary opposition, a reality that has become a defining feature of the political landscape since 2018. Supporters argue the repeated mandate reflects public confidence in Mottley’s stewardship of economic reform, climate diplomacy, the transition to a republic, and Barbados’ expanding global influence.

Now, newly sworn in and backed by another unanimous parliamentary majority, Mottley begins a third term with both extraordinary political capital and equally high expectations at home and across the region.

Continue Reading

Caribbean News

Liberty Caribbean Committed to ‘Elevating Region’ at CANTO  

Published

on

Simone Martin-Sulgan, Vice President and General Manager, Flow Trinidad & Tobago

Liberty Caribbean is Diamond Sponsor of CANTO Connect 2026 and 42nd AGM

 

Port of Spain, TRININDAD & TOBAGO (February 1, 2026) — Liberty Caribbean, the operators of Flow. Liberty Business and BTC, has reaffirmed its commitment to turning regional connectivity into measurable economic and social outcomes as Diamond Sponsor of CANTO Connect 2026 and its 42nd Annual General Meeting.

CANTO is the leading regional body that brings together telecommunications operators, ICT providers, regulators, governments, and industry partners to support the development of the Caribbean’s digital and communications landscape.

Simone Martin-Sulgan, Vice President and General Manager, Flow Trinidad & Tobago delivered the sponsor’s address on behalf of Liberty Caribbean.

“The work of laying fibre and lighting towers is done; connectivity is now our foundation,” she said.

“The real task before us is to translate that foundation into innovation, productivity and prosperity for our people. Intelligent connectivity, such as networks designed for 5G, AI and IoT, will be the platform for smarter public services, more resilient systems and scaled opportunities for Caribbean entrepreneurs.”

Martin-Sulgan emphasised that infrastructure alone will not deliver sustainable progress.

“Digital progress must become digital prosperity. That means creating career pathways for young people, helping local businesses scale and ensuring citizens across our communities can fully participate in the digital economy. A connected Caribbean should also be a confident, creative and globally competitive Caribbean,” she said.

Liberty Caribbean is represented by a senior delegation at CANTO Connect to support the conference objectives of aligning policy, investment and execution across the region under this year’s theme ‘Elevate the Caribbean – From Connectivity to Global Competitiveness’.

Liberty Caribbean’s delegation includes Inge Smidts, Chief Executive Officer; Desron Bynoe, VP and General Manager, Flow Barbados; Susanna O’Sullivan, VP and General Manager, North Caribbean; Marilyn Sealy, Senior Director, Head of Communications; Dominic Boon, VP, People; Daniel Neiva, Chief Commercial Officer, B2B; Bradley Ramcharan, Director, B2B, Trinidad & Tobago; Yolande Headley, Country Manager, Dutch East Caribbean; and Jade Reymond, Country Manager, Flow Anguilla.

Martin-Sulgan thanked CANTO’s local secretariat for convening the forum and urged delegates to convert conversation into action.

“If we align policy, capital and capability, the Caribbean can move from connectivity to competitiveness. Liberty Caribbean will continue to invest in resilient networks, nurture homegrown talent and partner to deliver measurable social and economic value across our markets,” she said.

Continue Reading

Caribbean News

Adam Stewart named CNW’s Businessman/Philanthropist of the Year for 2025

Published

on

Executive Chairman of Sandals Resorts, Adam Stewart, has been named Businessman/Philanthropist of the Year for 2025 by the regional news publication, Caribbean National Weekly (CNW).

The publication recognised Stewart for his leadership in hospitality, his ongoing investments in regional tourism, his steady crisis response and his philanthropic work throughout what it described as a year filled with both remarkable achievements and significant challenges.

CNW highlighted how 2025 saw industry recognition for Stewart, major announcements of multimillion‑dollar developments across his all‑inclusive luxury resort brands and an invitation to join the prestigious Wall Street Journal CEO Council.

But the publication said his impact extended well beyond business milestones.

“In 2025, the Executive Chairman of Sandals Resorts didn’t just guide his iconic hospitality empire through crisis – he used its scale and influence to help shape Jamaica’s rebound and lay groundwork for future regional growth,” CNW wrote.

The defining moment, it said, came in late October when Hurricane Melissa caused severe damage to parts of Jamaica’s tourism infrastructure. Stewart responded by leading transparent communication with global travel advisors, partners and team members, and made a landmark pledge, that 100 per cent of Sandals and Beaches employees would remain on payroll and receive Christmas bonuses, even at resorts temporarily closed for extensive restoration and upgrades. The company also committed more than US$3 million in staff recovery aid, providing direct support to families affected by the storm.

CNW further highlighted the work of the Sandals Foundation under Stewart’s guidance, noting record levels of community engagement and targeted disaster‑recovery support in healthcare, livelihoods and the environment.

In response to the honour, Stewart said he was “deeply humbled” to receive the Businessman/Philanthropist of the Year recognition and expressed his gratitude to his teams and partners for their dedication during an extraordinary year.

“This award reflects far more than any one individual. It is a direct result of people showing up every day for their communities and believing business is a force for good. It belongs to the extraordinary teams who carry our shared vision forward – especially the Sandals Foundation, whose work continues to create lasting change across education, health care, disaster relief and environmental stewardship,” Stewart stated.

“To every colleague and partner who helps bring this mission to life – thank you for your commitment, heart and belief.”

Continue Reading

FIND US ON FACEBOOK

TRENDING