In severe cases of depression, you may be tempted to self-harm or have thoughts about suicide. If this is the case you should seek immediate support from a therapist or hotline.
TOP TEN SIGNS YOU COULD HAVE DEPRESSION
Depression is a widespread and significant medical condition that has a negative impact on how you feel, think, and act. It is, however, treatable. Depression is characterised by melancholy and/or a loss of interest in previously appreciated activities. It can cause a number of mental and physical issues, as well as a reduction in your capacity to operate at work and at home.
If you have depression, you may have feelings of hopelessness that prohibit you from doing things you used to like, have difficulties sleeping, or find it difficult to make decisions. Physical symptoms such as tiredness are also possible.
Knowing the basic indications of depression might help you determine if you’re suffering from more than a case of the blues if you’re feeling sad.
1. You’ve felt down for a long time
While experiencing bad moods occasionally is perfectly normal, feeling down for extended periods of time may be a sign that you are suffering from depression.
Low mood can express itself in many ways, but one of the most common is a sense of listlessness. People with depression sometimes describe the world as seeming grey and uninteresting, and consequently, their emotional responses become dulled. Even significant life events such as the birth of a baby or death of a loved one can fail to elicit the expected reaction, sometimes leading the individual to feel guilty because of their own lack of emotion.
2. You no longer enjoy your pastimes
One of the major symptoms of depression is anhedonia, the inability to feel pleasure. As a result of this, activities you used to love may seem boring and not worth bothering with.
This can reduce your motivation for everyday activities and work as well as hobbies, and people who were once passionate about many activities may find themselves having little desire to engage in their usual pastimes.
3. You become more pessimistic and feel hopeless
Depression is often associated with having a sense that the future is bleak and hopeless.
This sense of pessimism could lead you to believe that your problems are unfixable or that you are incapable of improving your life situation.
In addition, pessimists may believe they are at risk of catastrophic mistakes that could lead to bankruptcy or other extreme consequences.
4. You feel sluggish and low in energy
Depression is often associated with a heavy sense of fatigue. People sometimes report that their sense of exhaustion is so severe that they struggle even to get out of bed or move.
This fatigue can be hard to shake, with rest seemingly having little to no impact.
In many cases, the sense of fatigue and sluggishness can have a significant impact on their day to day lives, restricting their ability to work or engage in social activities.
5. Your cognitive function is impaired
Cognitive faculties such as focus and decision making can be negatively impacted by depression.
Memory and processing speed are also often affected, and you may become uncharacteristically dozy or forgetful. Many describe the experience as like living in a haze, distracted and detached or even confused and unable to accomplish tasks as quickly or effectively as you normally would.
6. You experience unusual sleep patterns
If you’re suffering from depression you may find your sleep to be affected in several ways.
For some people the depressive state can lead to hypersomnia- sleeping for excessively long periods of time, often including during the daytime.
In other cases people have difficulty falling or staying asleep, or find that they feel sleepy at the wrong times.
Regardless of how their sleep is affected, people with depression often report that they don’t feel refreshed or energised by their sleep, leading to a sense of weariness throughout the waking hours.
7. You experience changes in appetite
It is common for people’s eating habits to change when they are suffering from depression.
In some cases, people may turn to food as a coping mechanism, consuming large amounts of high-calorie food to distract themselves.
For other people, depression may cause a loss of appetite or lack of motivation to prepare food.
Unexpected fluctuations in weight are also a common side effect.
8. You have more headaches
Depression has been linked to an increased frequency of headaches. This can be a result of the general malaise often experienced by those suffering from depression.
Tension headaches have also been linked to depression. Tension headaches are caused by tightness in the muscles of the neck and shoulders which can be caused by stress or bad posture. For some people, an increase in headaches can be one of the main signs that they are unwell.
9. You are more irritable
Irritability is a common symptom of depression. This can be a result of internalised anger bubbling to the surface, as well as frustration or a sense of not being able to cope.
These feelings can greatly reduce your tolerance towards other people, leading to emotional outbursts.
10. Self-harm or suicidal ideation
Next steps
If you feel some of these describe your situation or you are concerned about your mental health then we recommend contacting your GP or a mental health professional.
In addition, here at Orius, we offer free teletherapy with qualified therapists. You can book an appointment here