They say depression is a silent killer because nobody knows when it creeps in and starts to affect you. Because of this, diagnosing the medical condition can be hard.
This, however, doesn’t mean that there’s no way for you to recognize it. Here are 15 of the most common symptoms of depression you should know.
1. You experience persistent, unexplainable physical pain
If you get constant physical pain even when your physician claims you’re healthy, then you should pay extra attention to your health. Unexplainable physical pain is likely a result of a psyche issue.
This type of pain is usually unresponsive to pain medications. Non-pharmacological interventions aren’t likely to ease the discomfort as well. If you’re struggling with these concerns, then there’s a good chance you could be suffering from mental depression.
2. You suffer from insomnia or oversleeping
Depression makes you feel sad, guilty, and worthless. These negative feelings are so intense that they can disturb your sleep, too.
In other people, this works backward. They have no strength to bear such negative emotions that they just choose to run from reality by oversleeping.
On average, an adult needs 7-8 hours of sleep every day. If you are taking less or more than the average sleeping time, it’s a good idea to ask yourself why. Not every case of insomnia or oversleeping is due to depression, but they are closely related.
3. Your appetite changes
Some people binge-eat to channel their depression because they think eating more can make them happier. On the other hand, there are also people who can’t find joy and contentment in eating when they’re depressed. This leads to appetite and weight loss.
See Also: 4 Ways To Overcome Depression Naturally
4. You experience energy loss
When you are depressed, you tend to get tired easily. This can happen even if you didn’t do any hard work during the entire day. Sitting in front of the TV, lying in bed, and staying at home all day can still leave you feeling too exhausted.
5. You rush or slow down your pace
When you are depressed, you become either rushed or slowed down.
Some people agitate under depression because their depressive thoughts push them into a state of panic. There are people who slow down instead because they are less interested in their lives.
6. You don’t connect with other people
Even when you’re surrounded by family and friends, you can still feel depressed. That’s because you no longer feel any connection with them. You don’t trust them, so you’re reluctant to share your problems and ask for help.
7. You keep a facade
When you’re depressed, you often feel unconsciously guilty because you’re not healthy enough, not strong enough, and not happy enough. You don’t want to trouble people with your condition, so you try to compensate by faking a smile and telling them that you’re okay.
8. You no longer find anything interesting
Depression can affect how you view life. Those activities that you previously enjoyed are no longer irrelevant to you. Camping, partying and reading books now seem unenjoyable for you. And the more depress you become, the less pleasure you find in doing them.
9. You get irritated easily
When you’re depressed, it’s easy to feel meaningless. This view can upset you in the inside, even if you don’t feel so.
The more you drown yourself with this idea, the more negative feelings you develop. These emotions can affect your relationship with other people. Although they can try their best to understand and help you, you see their efforts as worthless so you just push them aside.
10. You no longer feel emotion
When you’re depressed, you don’t feel sad or angry. Even if someone gets mad and yells at you, you don’t get upset. You feel no happiness either. When someone tries to crack a funny joke, you only laugh because it’s what’s expected of you.
You lose your emotions because you feel worthless and that you don’t matter to anyone.
11. You’re unable to concentrate
When you’re depressed, your mind is full of depressive and negative ideas. This makes you unable to concentrate on certain matters, like your work, studies and other interests.
If you find difficulties concentrating at work or school, it’s a good idea to reassess your thoughts and recognize any possible causes.
12. You feel persistent guilt
Mistakes typically come with the emotion of guilt. If an error is too petty to cause harm, guilt usually dissipates easily. But, when you’re depressed, it doesn’t really matter if the mistake you’ve committed is big or small. You can carry the same intense guilt for a long time.
See Also: How To Fight Depression: The Ultimate Guide
13. You constantly feel empty
It’s normal for people to feel empty from time to time. This happens most frequently to people who lack the time to take a break and enjoy life. However, with the right interventions, this feeling can fade away quickly.
When you’re depressed, you’ll find it hard to shake the feeling even after you’ve taken the necessary actions. You can take time off of work, go to a vacation or talk to a counselor, yet you’ll still feel the same emptiness.
14. You loathe yourself
People with depression often look down on themselves. They see their depression as something abnormal and disgusting. They consider their depression as a sign of weakness and they loathe themselves for that.
The level of loathing varies from person to person. Some people self-criticize every little thing they do. Some people can’t even look at themselves in the mirror. In severe cases, depressed people think that the world will be better off without them in it.
15. You think about death- constantly
Mentally healthy people don’t normally think about death. They’re more preoccupied with living their lives and attaining their personal goals, like getting a stable job, starting a family and gaining professional success.
But, if you’re depressed, you’ll find yourself constantly thinking about dying. This is actually one of the most dangerous symptoms of depression. You’ll be obsessed with the things that can happen after your death and how you can end your life. No matter how hard you try to shake that thought, they just keep coming back to you.