8 Signs You Are Depressed
You can be depressed and not be aware of it.
Hi, how are you doing? Before you give me the generic, ‘I’m okay’ answer, take a moment to really think about it. How are you feeling physically and emotionally? Are you happy? Upset? Are things not going your way and most importantly, how are you handling it?
There has never been a better time to take stock of your mental health. Due to the covid-19 pandemic, we’ve been forced to physically stay away from our loved ones, limit the fun we have outdoors (which may be our way of relieving stress), and some of us have been financially hit due to loss of jobs or reduction in income. All these can take a toll on one’s mental health. In fact, research shows that;
4 out of every 10 people in the United States alone have exhibited signs of anxiety or depression since the beginning of the pandemic.
Before the pandemic, these figures stood at 1 out of every 10 people. This means that more people are getting depressed.
First things first, what is depression?
Depression is the term given to a mood disorder characterized by constant feelings of sadness and lack of interest in your normal life activities.
To answer the question lingering on your mind, yes, you can be depressed and not be aware of it. Despite the fact that we are having more talks on mental health today, many of us cannot recognize when we or someone close to us is going through depression.
Here are signs of depression you should watch out for.
1. Feeling helpless
Having feelings of helplessness is one of the most common sign of depression.
We all go through ups and downs in life. The difference when you are depressed is that you lose hope when things don't go your way. You feel helpless and are convinced that your situation will not improve.
2. Losing interest in activities
Depression can make things that once gave you joy seem meaningless. If you previously enjoyed hobbies like swimming, dancing, football, or hanging out with friends, you stop caring about these things.
It’s like you become numb to whatever is going on around you.
If you no longer feel like going to work, school or even engaging in sexual intercourse for no reason, you might want to look deeper into it because you might be depressed.
3. Significant changes in appetite and weight
Have you ever heard of stress eating? If I’m anxious about something, eating calms me down and makes me feel good. The problem with this is that if there’s something going on in your life, you might find yourself eating and eating and eating some more. The end result is that you’ll gain a lot of weight within a short time.
Some people lose their appetite when they’re depressed and this can result in significant weight loss since they eat less. Therefore, having a huge weight change is something you should look out for.
4. Fatigue and sleep changes
If you’ve ever interacted with a depressed person, one of the things they won’t fail to mention is that they are constantly tired. This feeling of tiredness can partly be the reason why you don’t want to engage in your normal activities because you don’t have the strength to do so.
Studies show that;
80% of depressed people find it difficult to go to sleep or stay asleep.
This means that most people who suffer from depression also deal with insomnia. However, there’s a smaller portion of people (15%) who oversleep when they are depressed. Therefore, you should monitor both of these sleep changes.
When you can’t sleep, you can become tired since your body hasn’t had enough rest and your energy can be low causing you to lose interest in things. So, fatigue and insomnia are connected.
5. Difficulty concentrating
If you are normally not a forgetful person but of late you can’t seem to remember where you placed your car keys or what you were going to buy in the market, it might be because you are depressed.
You might also find yourself struggling to follow conversations or maintain your line of thought while speaking. For example, someone can be talking to you and your mind wanders off or you might start explaining something then you forget what you were talking about. If this happens a lot, check to see if you also have any of the other symptoms of depression mentioned.
6. Physical aches and pains
Yes, depression is a mental condition. However, when you are struggling mentally, it also manifests in your physical body. That is why you may have aches and pain on various parts of your body like your back, stomach, and you may also have headaches and digestive issues.
Think about it this way too. If you are constantly in physical pain, you won’t be happy so your mood will be affected, it will be difficult for you to sleep so insomnia will also creep in, pain that doesn’t allow you to go to work or engage in your hobbies or social activities will make you extremely stressed. In the end, you can become depressed.
7. Uncontrollable emotions
Have you ever found yourself talking to someone and they seem fine and then the next minute they break into tears? Being depressed comes with having so many emotions which may be hard to control.
You can find yourself having very low tolerance so when someone says or does something minor, you snap. Also, everything that people do seem to annoy you.
Your emotions are simply all over the place.
8. You think about death
This is the scariest sign that most of us would rather not talk about but I need to mention it because;
60% of people who commit suicide were struggling with major depression.
As we’ve discussed, depression makes you see your situation as hopeless. If things don’t improve, it can get to a place where you see death as the only way out of your misery. If you get to this point, (especially where you are thinking of how to execute your suicide plan), please tell someone or seek help from therapists or organizations like Carenity and Befrienders Kenya who can provide you with the emotional and psychological help you need.
Final Thoughts
Whether you know it or not, your friend, family or colleague has or is battling depression. There’s comfort in knowing that YOU ARE NOT ALONE. The first step in getting better is recognizing that there’s a problem. I hope these signs will help you know whether you are slipping into depression so you can do what’s necessary to overcome it.
Remember, there’s no shame in being depressed so don’t be afraid to ask for help.
