Are you experiencing depression without even realizing it? We’ve come up with a list of signs that you might be depressed.
Depression is the most prevalent mental health disorder worldwide, with over 260 million people suffering from it. It’s also the world’s leading cause of disability — meaning that the illness can be a major contributor to a person’s inability to perform tasks as normal — and is also a major contributor to the overall global burden of disease, which means that it severely impacts quality of life, as well as longevity.
However, despite its widespread incidence, the illness is not one size fits all. One person’s depression can be similar to another’s, but they are not completely the same. However, years of study has allowed us to categorize the disease, making it easier to spot and treat.
Still, despite discovering commonalities of the disorder that people share within groups thus subdividing the illness into types, its complex nature can allow it to hide, often in plain sight.
Depression is a mood disorder, which can often lead to the stigma that it’s simply “all in your head,” and that you can simply “snap out of it.” In truth, the disorder can affect several aspects of life, not just moods and emotions. This is what makes it so difficult to spot, especially in the early stages where intervention is key, so it doesn’t get worse.
Health providers and practitioners rely on patients disclosing their symptoms in order to provide them the necessary care, but unfortunately, people — especially men — tend to underreport their depression, or not report it altogether, which adds another layer of difficulty when trying to spot the disease.
A study that looked into the reasons why individuals may not speak up about their symptoms to their primary care providers resulted in discovering people’s concerns with:
- Privacy. People often feel like this matter is extremely personal, and something that they can’t, or don’t want to, disclose to their doctors. Some even feel like it’s not their doctor’s job to manage these kinds of problems.
- Medication. Another reason why people refuse or are often hesitant about opening up is due to the concern that they will be put on medication to address the issue.
- Emotional control. Patients are often concerned that they may lose control with emotions when tackling the problem, making them susceptible to crying or becoming too emotional.
- Self-esteem. Some people reported feeling afraid that their doctors and peers will think less of them if they are struggling or experiencing depression.
- Shame and social stigma. Aside from feeling like they should have their “emotions under control”, due to the misconception that depression is simply a feeling of being sad, people are ashamed of their conditions and are afraid that seeking help will result in them being treated differently.
Because of all these things, the afflicted individuals themselves often disregard the possibility of having depression, which further lowers their likelihood of getting care or treatment.
Regardless, there should be a concerted effort to be aware of the signs, especially in the early stages of the illness. Untreated depression can not only negatively affect our relationships, work life, and health, but also, in extreme cases, lead to early death by suicide.
Here are some signs of depression that you may not notice:
1. Loss (or gain) of appetite, which can lead to dramatic changes in weight.
Rapid or dramatic changes in weight are often red flags for most physical illnesses, and it’s no different for depression. Because food is often regarded as a source of comfort, especially by people with mental illness, drastic changes in intake and weight can point to a mental health concern.
Such changes can also lead to patterns or behaviors of disordered eating, and studies have shown that patients with eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia, can also be diagnosed with a mood disorder, as well, including depression.
2. Problems with sleep — either too much or not enough.
Sleep is a very important part of staying healthy. Mood and sleep are intimately intertwined, which means that changes in sleep can affect one’s moods.
Sleeping too much and not sleeping enough can be signs of depression, especially if the latter is chronic in nature. Studies have shown that sleep deprivation can severely impact mood regulation, which can make depression worse.
3. Constantly feeling tired.
Fatigue might not only be one of the hallmark signs of depression, also an indicator being diagnosed with major depressive disorder later in life.
Lack of energy can stem from a number of different reasons, but having it be a persistent part of daily life is often cause for alarm, especially if it coincides with other symptoms.
4. Having problems with concentration and memory.
The part of the brain that is severely affected by depression is the prefrontal cortex, the region of the brain that deals with concentration and memory. Poor ability to focus and difficulty remembering details can both be signs of depression.
5. Abnormal changes in mood.
Similar to the concentration, mood and emotion regulation is also done by the prefrontal cortex, and changes can be an indicator of depression.
While mood swings are normal, sudden, extreme mood swings are often a sign of an overarching problem. In bipolar disorder, a person can feel severe lows and manic highs that can lead to reckless behavior and risk-taking, and both episodes can last for days at a time.
6. Lack of interest in previously enjoyable activities.
Anhedonia, or the inability to feel pleasure, is one of the core symptoms of depression. It can manifest as disinterest in the things that one may have previously enjoyed doing, and can be as extreme as losing interest in eating or in sex.
It can also manifest in interpersonal relationships. Someone who may have previously enjoyed spending time with friends and family but suddenly or gradually withdraws from these interactions due to disinterest could be experiencing anhedonia.
7. Having thoughts of suicide or self-harm.
While not all people with depression experience such thoughts, people with depression are at higher risk of dying by suicide or engaging in self-harm behaviors.
Feelings of sadness and hopelessness, major symptoms of depression, can often be a reason for suicide ideation.
Depression is a very complex disease that makes it difficult to spot, because most of the signs we’ve just mentioned can also be signs of other issues. However, a good way to tell if one should seek professional help is to note if two or three of the abovementioned symptoms are happening all at the same time, everyday, over a period of two weeks.
Being self-aware is extremely important when trying to catch a serious mental health issue like depression. Self-checks for mood, habits, and changes in behavior are often the best tools to determine the severity of the situation.
Using an app like Moody can make it easy and convenient to keep on top of monitoring your symptoms. It’s easy-to-use and simple to navigate, making tracking emotions, behaviors, and triggers effortless, and because it’s an app, you can simply reach for your phone whenever you feel like you need to track an important sign.
Creating the habit of tracking and monitoring yourself regularly can give you a wealth of information that you can provide to a mental health professional when asking for help. Extensive details give physicians a full picture of what you’re going through, allowing them to make a more accurate diagnosis.
