Are You Suffering from Depression? How to be Sure
Not feeling happy isn’t the same feeling as being depressed. Depression is a term which is colloquially used by people to describe a bad week at work or the phase that they go through after a breakup with their beloved. But clinical depression or a major depressive disorder is something more complex. There are definite symptoms which determine whether or not it is sadness or depression. The first step that you can take towards recovering yourself from depression is by determining if the unshakable and persistent feelings are due to depression or any other mental issue.
Before you visit online resources like www.e-counseling.com to take a depression quiz, or before you seek the help of a mental health professional, here are a few warning signs you should know of.
1. Hopeless outlook towards everything
Someone who is suffering from major depression usually goes through a mood disorder which sets an impact on the way you feel about everything in general. When you are depressed, you will have a hopeless and a helpless outlook on life. This is the most common symptom of depression. A few other feelings can be self-hate, worthlessness and guilt for no reason at all.
2. No interest in activities that you loved before
Depression can snatch away the pleasure that you derived in doing the activities that you loved before. If you loved sports activities or you loved practicing your best hobbies or hanging out with friends, you will soon lose interest in all these activities. You may even lose interest in sex and this can even lead to impotence.
3. Anxiety
Although depression is not seen to cause anxiety, it’s not well known that both of these conditions can actually occur at the same time. A few signs of anxiety can include restlessness, nervousness or a tensed feeling. You can also feel panicky, in danger and dreaded. All these will be associated with a rapid heart rate. You may find your muscles twitching or trembling and you may find it troublesome to think properly about anything.
4. Fatigue and insomnia
One of the reasons why you may not feel like doing things that you enjoyed before is because you must be feeling tired. Depression is usually linked with a sense of fatigue and lack of energy. This could also result in excessive sleep, or on the flip side, lack of sleep.
Therefore, whenever you’re wondering about the different ways in which you can spot depression in a person, you can keep in mind the above listed signs and symptoms. Get depression treated as soon as you can. It’s not something to let hang around, as it can lead to far worse things down the road.