Millions suffer from depression, one of the most common mental health problems. It’s a serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act.
More than just sadness in response to life’s struggles and setbacks, depression changes how you think, feel, and function in daily activities. It can interfere with your ability to work, study, eat, sleep, and enjoy life.
Fortunately, it is treatable. However, many of us suffering from depression don’t understand it, which makes silent depression even more dangerous. Some people simply don’t know how to express their emotions, share their feelings and even don’t feel comfortable to do so.
Do you think you might be depressed? Here are some of the signs and symptoms to look for—and tips for getting the help you need.
Here are the sign of depression:
Feelings of helplessness and hopelessness: Feeling helplessness and hopelessness are one of the key signs of depression as the disorder takes up all of the person’s energy. Depression makes it very difficult to carry on with day to day life works because the pain becomes too unbearable. What’s worse is that we don’t know about what pain we are suffering from.
Withdrawal of contacts with friends and families: Depression takes a person’s energy levels to the point where even getting out of bed can seem like running a marathon. The depression increases the constant thoughts of hopelessness and despair combined with high stress, poor appetite. A person that suffers from depression might even start withdrawing from friendships and family life because they have no energy left for them.
Reduced appetite: A sudden reduces in appetite can be a warning of depression. If you notice unusual eating habits in a friend or loved one, they could be suffering silently from depression.
Unsound sleeping: If any person has trouble falling or staying asleep, then the person is suffering from depression. The regular symptom is someone you know complains of sleep problems on a regular basis, he or she might have depression.
Workaholic: Sometimes people use work to cover up their emotions as they see work as an excuse to escape how they feel, a distraction for the torment that their mind causes them. If you notice someone staying late at work most nights of the week, they might actually be silently depressed and not just a workaholic.
Anger or irritability. Feeling agitated, restless, or even violent. Your tolerance level is low, your temper short, and everything and everyone gets on your nerves.
Concentration problems: Trouble focusing, making decisions, or remembering things.
Unexplained aches and pains: An increase in physical complaints such as headaches, back pain, aching muscles, and stomach pain.
Tips to get rid from depression:
Reach out to other people: Isolation fuels depression, so reach out to friends and loved ones, even if you feel like being alone or don’t want to be a burden to others. The simple act of talking to someone face-to-face about how you feel can be an enormous help. The person you talk to doesn’t have to be able to fix you. They just need to be a good listener—someone who’ll listen attentively without being distracted or judging you.
Get moving: When you’re depressed, just getting out of bed can seem daunting, let alone exercising. But regular exercise can be as effective as antidepressant medication in countering the symptoms of depression. Take a short walk or put some music on and dance around. Start with small activities and build up from there.
Eat a mood boosting diet: Reduce your intake of foods that can adversely affect your mood, such as caffeine, alcohol, trans fats, sugar and refined carbs. And increase mood-enhancing nutrients such as Omega-3 fatty acids.
Find ways to engage again with the world: Spend some time in nature, care for a pet, volunteer, pick up a hobby you used to enjoy (or take up a new one). You won’t feel like it at first, but as you participate in the world again, you will start to feel better.
PNN