Do you have depression?
“People often don’t realize that depression isn’t just one thing. It can have different causes and presentations. Some people look sad, others are more irritable, some withdraw, and others seem restless.” according to Lisa Moses, PsyD.
When you ask people that question, not many can honestly answer “yes” or “no.” Call it being naïve or just in denial, but mostly it’s because they don’t want to believe they have such a mental disorder.
A good ol’ diagnosis from the doctor can tell you if you have depression. In case you wish to break out of this ordeal without medical help, though, look for these signs in yourself.
- Weight Gain
The first signal is that you only want to eat comfort foods such as chocolates and ice cream 24/7. You can care less about the calories you willingly stuff in your body with this condition. It results, therefore, to increase your weight.
- Blank Feeling
Depressed folks typically shut their emotions down consciously or subconsciously. Watching the sad movies or tv shows you cried over every time in the past don’t make you cry anymore. You can’t smile either when your funniest friend cracks a joke. You just feel nothing.
- Short Temper
Is someone at home or in the office commenting on how irritable you’ve been getting lately? The simple noises tick you off; you tend to feel angry pretty quickly once your subordinates send you a wrong document. That’s a sign of depression too.
- Difficulty in Decision-Making
- Physical Pain
Having a depression also brings out various physical pains whose roots you can’t pinpoint. That can be a major headache, constipation, diarrhea, or muscle ache, among others.
- Insomnia
It is often difficult to sleep for a depressed person. “Patients will wonder if those sleeping pills they have been taking for years haven’t worked, why would talking to a psychologist about their problem possibly work?” said Ryan G. Wetzler, Psy.D The reason isn’t always because of overthinking; usually, no thoughts even run through your head. But then, once you slumber, you remain asleep for almost 12 hours.
- Lack of Interest
Every single activity you religiously did once upon a time suddenly seems boring to you. Even studying or going to work, which you know are highly significant, no longer matters. Also, being around friends and family goes to the bottom of your priorities.
- Pessimism
The negative ideas go rampant in your mind when you have depression. The question always eating the brain is, what’s the point of doing this or that if other people can do it as well?
- Fatigue
Feeling extremely tired even without doing anything is another sign of depression. You may not be working, yet you developed terrible eating and sleeping habits. Hence, fatigue is to be expected. “Burnout is usually a result of a system problem. There are a number of things you can do to increase your resilience and well-being and improve your response to stress, but most likely things at work will need to change, too,” as stated by Dr. Susan Biali Haas, M.D.
- Suicidal Thoughts
Lastly, the thoughts of ending your sorrows with a noose around the neck or a cut on the wrist never leave. Some, unfortunately, succumb to that temptation due to how noisy things can become in their head.