Are You Depressed? Recognize the Warning Signs

Who hasn’t felt sad or lonely at times? We all get down and sometimes have days when we feel blah and overwhelmed with life. We even may go through periods when we seem to have a strong case of the blues. However, if we look carefully, there is often a reason behind those feelings, a loss, or blow of some kind. Grief over the death of someone we care about, the ending of a relationship, the loss of a job, a serious disappointment or even dealing with physical pain may all cause us to feel a bit hopeless and miserable. Having those feelings doesn’t necessarily mean we’re depressed. They might just be our normal and understandable reaction to life’s hardships.

So how do we know if we are suffering from depression or just ordinary sadness? It’s not always easy to tell the difference. The short, quick answer is that sadness is a temporary emotion, usually with a recognizable cause; depression lasts for longer periods of time, sometimes forever and often has no discernible reason. Perhaps the most important indicator of depression is that it interferes with your ability to lead a normal life.

However, recognizing depression can be extremely difficult and the quick definition oversimplifies a very complex problem. There are many signs of depression that you may not even consider and to make it even harder, the signs, and symptoms very greatly from person to person. For some people, the symptoms are so severe that it’s clear something is wrong, while others just feel generally miserable or unhappy. Worse, it’s harder to notice the signs when you are in the midst of depression already. But there are warning signs, and if you’re aware of them, they’re much easier to spot.

Warning signs that you may be depressed

If you identify with several of these symptoms for more than two weeks, seek help. Even one of these symptoms that just won’t go away is a flag to talk to a professional.

Mood changes

What to look for:

• Persistent agitation
• Inability to relax
• Lash out at others
• Unexplained irritability
• General persistent sadness
• Frequent crying with no reason
• Constant frustration
• Disproportionate anger
• Short-tempered
• More aggressive than normal

Negative attitude

What to look for:

• Feelings of hopelessness
• Everything is going wrong
• Constant negativity
• Inability to see the positive side
• Think “Why bother” frequently
• Feeling worthless
• Persistent guilt or shame
• Extreme self-criticism or blame
• General unhappiness

Changes in activity or energy level

What to look for:

• Persistent fatigue
• Continual low energy levels or sluggishness
• General feeling of moving in slow motion
• Stop exercising even though you enjoy it
• Tire easily
• Restlessness
• Constant pacing or fidgeting

Loss of interest

What to look for:

• No longer interested in hobbies
• General detachment
• Don’t care about spending time with people
• No longer enjoy things that used to bring pleasure
• Refuse to go out or decline social invitations
• Feelings of emptiness
• Neglect responsibilities
• Changes in sexual activity or interest

Brain Fog

What to look for:

• Difficulty concentrating
• Can’t remember details, names, numbers
• Fuzzy thinking
• Hard time making decisions
• Find easy tasks difficult
• Forgetting appointments
• Can’t seem to focus
• Have to reread sentences or pages

Sleep disturbances

What to look for:

• Difficulty falling asleep
• Constant waking at night
• Sleeping longer than usual
• Frequent naps
• Pattern of going to bed earlier or staying up later than normal

Changes in Appetite

What to look for:

• Loss of interest in eating
• Consistently missing meals
• Persistent emotionally triggered eating
• Bulimia and anorexia are often symptoms of depression

Physical symptoms

What to look for:

• Persistent aches and pains that won’t go away with treatment
• Chronic unexplained stress
• Increased self-medication

Reckless behavior

What to look for:

• Binge drinking
• Rug use
• Speeding
• Taking unnecessary risks
• Taking too much medication
• Risky sexual behavior

Thoughts of dying

What to look for:

• Preoccupation with death
• Thoughts such as “Things would be better off without me.” “I don’t think I can make it through another day.” “It would be better if I was never born.”
• Sudden desire to get affairs in order
• Thinking about ways to kill yourself

If left untreated, depression may worsen and cause the gradual destruction of your life. Not getting treatment can be life threatening. The inability to recognize the signs of depression is often the biggest danger. Moreover, once you see the signs, you need to seek help. Embarrassment is often a barrier to getting help. There’s nothing weak about needing help to feel better and it’s not unreasonable to want to be happy. Proper diagnosis and treatment is the only way to combat depression. It will not go away on its own. Watch for the signs in yourself and in those you care about and don’t let depression go untreated.