Warning Signs Of Depression

There was a time when tornadoes came without warning. Today we get warnings on our cell phones, televisions, and watches that the signs are there of a coming storm. The wise pay attention to those warning signs. Likewise, there are clear warning signs of depression that it is prudent to heed.

Now, by “depression,” I don’t mean unhappiness like you have after a bad day at work or sadness like you have when your pet dies. I’m talking about the kind of depression that doesn’t lift on its own, but needs the help of a mental health professional.

How can you tell the difference between the regular kind of malaise that everyone gets from time to time and real depression?

Here are nine warning signs of depression:

Hopelessness

Depression impacts the way you look at life in general, not just the current circumstances. People who are suffering from depression tend to have a hopeless and even helpless outlook on life in general. Accompanying this are other feelings such as a sense of worthlessness, self-loathing, or disproportionate guilt and self-blaming. Common things depressed people say are, “It’s all my fault,” “What’s the point?”

Loss of Interest

When a person is depressed, they no longer find pleasure or enjoyment in things that they used to love such as sports, hobbies, entertainment, the company of friends. It is not uncommon to lose interest in sex, have a decreased sex drive, and, in men, erectile disfunction.

Problems With Sleep

Depression saps people of their energy, causing fatigue. This is one of the reasons they stop doing things they enjoy; they’re too tired. They often sleep too much, taking long or multiple naps. They also tend to have insomnia, difficulty staying asleep, or lack of quality sleep, which can lead to anxiety.

Anxiety

Anxiety and depression are siblings; they very often go hand in hand and occur together. A person will go from down and depressed to anxious and stressed. Anxiety produces:

• Nervousness, restlessness, tenseness

• Feelings of dread, panic, danger

• Increased heart beat

• Heavy breathing

• Abnormal sweating

• Twitching muscles, trembling

• Difficulty focusing or thinking clearly about anything but the current worry

Irritability (in men)

Men with depression tend to become irritable and have misplaced anger. They also tend to indulge in escapist or risky behaviors such as substance abuse. Men are also much less likely than women to admit that they have depression and need help, becoming irritated and angry if pressed on the issue.

Changes in Appetite

People with depression will sometimes lose their appetite and experience sudden weight loss. Or, conversely, they may have an increased appetite and experience sudden weight gain. If a person loses or gains weight on purpose, that is one thing, but if it is unintentional, that is a sign of depression.

Mood Swings

You would think that people with depression are stuck in one emotion: sadness. But that is not true. They actually swing from one extreme to the other, angry one minute and sobbing the next. The emotions are up and down like a roller coaster.

Thoughts of Death

It is not abnormal to think about death from time to time, but fixating on death is a warning sign of depression. Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the U.S. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, in 2019, 47,511 Americans died by suicide and there were 1.38 million attempts. People who commit suicide usually show warning signs such as those discussed in this blog, and often they will talk about it.

Suicide Prevention

If someone you know is talking about or threatening suicide, call 911, stay with the person until help arrives, remove any weapons, medications, anything that could cause harm, and listen but don’t judge or argue. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 800-273-8255.

Let Us Help

If you recognize these warning signs in yourself or someone you love, don’t ignore these signs. Get help. At SoulCare Counseling, we are trained to work with people suffering with depression. I urge you to read more about depression therapy, and then reach out to us for a free no-obligation thirty-minute consultation for depression therapy.