Signs of Depression? What You Need to Know.
By Anjali Aggarwal, Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), Therapist Intern
We live in a society that often talks about the pursuit of happiness and very little about depression.
While sadness is a part of life and we all have days where we may feel down, depression affects multiple parts of our life - behaviour, mood, and thoughts and can last for days, weeks, or even months. There is no one way that depression is experienced, however there are some common signs and symptoms to be on the lookout for that are associated with depression and may indicate a more profound concern.
Signs you or someone you know might be depressed:
Loss of Interest in Hobbies
Many people who experience depression describe feeling like they don’t feel motivated to do the things they loved doing before, and those things don't bring them any sense of happiness or joy. For example, someone who loves to bake and make treats 3 times a week, may suddenly stop baking completely and feel the task as being unsurmountable and uninteresting.
Decrease in Social Interactions
Another common sign is isolation from others. This is different from just being introverted. It can look like cutting off from social events, spending less time with friends and family, and more time alone.
Increased Tiredness and Excessive Sleeping
This can tie into a decrease in social activities and hobbies, because people experiencing depression may feel too tired to do so. Tiredness in depression is a bit more overwhelming than your day-to-day tiredness, it can feel like you are completely sapped of energy and you may even find yourself sleeping for most of the day and still waking up tired.
Difficulty Concentrating
When someone is dealing with depression, they may notice that they have difficulty paying attention to and concentrating on day-to-day tasks at work, school, or other activities. This is sometimes described as “brain fog” where the mind feels clouded and unfocused and they may even feel quite removed from what’s going on around them.
Increased and Prolonged Feelings of Sadness
Of course, it is normal to feel sad, we can’t be happy all the time. In depression,the feeling of sadness can be accompanied by numbness or feeling empty. The sadness doesn’t necessarily happen after a difficult event, for example breaking up with a partner, but these feelings can seemingly feel like they come out of nowhere and it’s hard to get past them.
Increased Irritability
When struggling with depression, people often notice that they feel more irritable over small things that would normally not bother them. For example, their senses may seem heightened and everything may feel grating. For example,the lights at home, the sound of the TV, the sound of a friend chewing their food may result in the person snapping.
Changes in Appetite
Changes in appetite can fall under two extremes that are outside of typical eating behaviours for the individual. Someone may experience a marked decrease in appetite wherein they may skip meals and eat less when they do eat, and this is significant enough that there is a noticeable difference in weight. On the other hand, a sign of depression can also be an increase in appetite where someone is eating a lot more during meals, and eating more frequently again leading to a noticeable weight gain.
Negative Thoughts about Self
Someone who is feeling depressed may be experiencing a barrage of negative feelings and thoughts, a lot of which may be about them as a person. For example, they may think that they are unwanted, no one cares about them, and they’re alone. Of course, these thoughts can lead to them feeling worse about themselves so this is a difficult cycle to break out of.
Looking for some support?
If you resonate with any of the signs mentioned above or notice them in someone you care about, reaching out for help is the first and most important step. Depression is a treatable condition, and it does not have to be dealt with alone. Let's break the stigma surrounding mental health and work together to create a world where seeking help is not only encouraged but celebrated.
Looking for more information?
You can read more about the services we offer to support people navigating depression here.
When you’re ready, we can help.
Book a free 30 minute consultation and let’s talk about it.