By Judithcarlin (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons
In one of my earlier posts I talked about how some people can get stressed out and not even realize it. Unfortunately it doesn’t just stop there; sometimes you can come across people who don’t even realize they are depressed. They show all the symptoms of being depressed but if you ask them they’ll either say I’m fine or I’ve just been a little down lately, not because they want to hide their depression but because they don’t know they are depressed. In this post we are going to be talking about how to tell if you are depressed or not (just like it says in the title).
First of, why do people get depressed? Well that is a tough one to answer since depression can sometimes set in whenever it wants for whatever reason (it’s really sneaky that way). One of the most common reasons would be because the person recently suffered a traumatic experience like the loss of a loved one or a break up or something like that, but sometimes it could be for something as simple as having a really bad day. It’s hard to say what can trigger depression in someone since everyone is so different from one another.
While it may not be easy to pin point a reason behind someone’s depression sometimes, there are still warning signs and symptoms that tell you whether you are depressed that you can look out for. Here are some of them:
- Feeling absolutely helpless and like nothing will ever go right
- Losing interest for everyday activities
- A sudden change in your normal sleep cycle like developing insomnia, waking up really early or oversleeping.
- Loss of appetite or feeling more hungry than usual
- A sudden weight change, gain or loss
- Feeling like you have no energy at all
- A strong feeling of self-loathing, in other words you absolutely hate yourself
- You have trouble focusing or concentrating on things
- You seem to be more forgetful than usual
- You start taking up dangerous or erratic habits like substance abuse, gambling , reckless driving and stuff like that
- You start getting random aches and pains like headaches, back pain, stomach pain, etc.
- You get irritated easily with small things that did not bother you before
If you suffer from these symptoms then you might just be depressed. There are also online quizzes that can help you figure out if you are depressed like this one, or this one. Just make sure you are completely honest when you answer the questions or you might not get the correct results.
We’re coming to the end of this particular post and I would like to end it with this. I am not a medical professional, everything I have written about comes from a combination of my own life experiences and research I have done; you can check out my sources for yourself here:
- https://www.beyondblue.org.au/the-facts/depression/signs-and-symptoms
- http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/depression/Pages/Introduction.aspx
- http://www.helpguide.org/articles/depression/depression-signs-and-symptoms.htm
If you think you are suffering from depression then you should try talking to a professional. Depression is a serious mental health issue that can do a real number on you and get in the way of every aspect of your life. If you are depressed then don’t worry, you are not alone. There are ways to get out of it and there are many people who can help you. Everyone deserves a chance at living their lives and you are no different; as clichéd as it may sound just have a little faith in yourself and the world around you. Remember you can get better, you can become stronger and you are not alone.
Alternative Yoga 