What Are The Warning Signs Of Depression?

While everyone around you expects that you remain strong and sail through the debilitating storms that life brings your way, things may get more challenging than expected. Maybe you have recently lost a family member, a job, or you have been battling an illness that has left you drained physically, emotionally, and financially.

Feeling sad, lonely, hopeless, worthless, and angry after such bitter life experiences is typical and should not cause alarm.

However, if the feelings last for several months or become extreme and overwhelming, you should consider seeking psychiatric help, care, and treatment. Such persistent feelings are serious indicators that you could be suffering from depression, and unless you open up to an expert, things could get out of hand.

5 Signs That You Could Be Suffering From Depression

Persistent, unshakable dark feelings could be the onset of major depression. If you are experiencing prolonged feelings of worthlessness, self-hate, or you’re vocalizing your thoughts, you could have depression. Read through these telltale signs of depression to determine if you need to seek professional psychiatric services to diagnose and treat a possible depression.

1. Prolonged Stress and Anxiety

If you are always in deep thoughts or worried about something that you cannot particularly point out, there’s a high chance that you’re entering into depression.

Common signs of anxiety include nervousness, restlessness, panic, rapid breathing, increased heart rate, and concentration loss. Such feelings indicate that it’s time you sought proper diagnosis and treatment if your psychiatrist confirms depression.

2. Rapid Weight Gain or Weight Loss

People react to depression differently. While some people report a decreased urge to eat, others experience an increase in appetite. Depression is a known cause of unintended weight loss or gain. When depressed, you are more likely to find solace in eating. Overeating, as a coping mechanism, leads to rapid weight gain.

On the other hand, you may become uninterested in eating and end up losing too much weight within a short period. Unknowingly, this could be a hidden underlying issue of Pancreatic cancer that causes your sudden weight loss.

3. Irritability

Contrary to popular misconception, anger, irritability, and unpredictable mood changes are not normal. They may be a sign of depression. Visiting a psychiatrist for diagnosis and treatment is the best way to determine if the uncalled for outbursts, misplaced anger, and inability to tolerate others result from depression. Irritability and unexplained anger are escapist behaviors that point to a possible case of depression.

4. Loss of Interest in Hobbies

Among the common signs of stress and depression is withdrawal from hobbies and activities. Perhaps you used to enjoy swimming or playing basketball before the traumatic event that changed you. You loved hanging out with your friends, partying, and attending movie nights.

You have lost interest, and all you want is to be left alone, sleep all day, or indulge in work. You should not confuse this with increased focus or love for your work. The chances are that you’re sleeping too much or overworking to avoid confronting the real causes of your stress.

5. Oversleeping or Lack of Sleep

As earlier mentioned, some individuals spend most of their time sleeping to avoid the reality of life. Sleeping transports you from the real world to a world of fantasy, and as long as you are not awake, you have nothing to worry about.

On the other hand, some people are entirely unable to fall asleep. When they do, they cannot last for more than two hours before waking up. Lack of sleep could emanate from overthinking or trauma. If you are experiencing insomnia, sleep apnea, or irregular sleeping patterns, consider seeking psychiatric care.

Final Thoughts

Many individuals out there are suffering from depression but are not aware of it. Others choose to suffer in silence due to the fear of being judged.

Fortunately, there are a lot of qualified and experienced psychiatrists to help you successfully overcome depression. If you feel that you need advice, diagnosis, care, and treatment for depression, visit BetterHelp for more information on available psychiatry services.