Depression Symptoms That Should Not Be Ignored

Posted: March 20, 2017

Depression isn’t just about feeling sad. We all experience sadness and feeling a little down in the dumps from time to time, but those feelings usually go away in a few days. Depression is something more. It’s an overwhelming sadness that involves a loss of interest in things that used to bring pleasure. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, depression affects 40 million adults in the United States—that’s 18% of the population. Depression isn’t always easy to spot in yourself or even someone you love. It is important to understand that depression’s symptoms vary and can change from moment to moment.

Depression symptoms include the following:

Excessive tearfulness, crying and feeling overwhelming sad.
Feelings of hopelessness, helplessness and worthlessness.
Sleeping too much or too little.
Chronic anxiety
Increased anger and irritability
Trouble enjoying previously enjoyed activities
Unexplained illness, headaches, stomach aches, muscle pain.
Poor concentration.
Suicide ideation/passive or overt.
Eating too much or too little.

A person struggling with depression may have difficulty managing daily stressors and may feel helpless and alone. This increases the person’s negative bias that they are “no good, useless, others are better off without them or people do not like me”. Depression is often associated with repressed anger, shame and fear.

Here are a few examples of what these depression symptoms may look like:

Trouble Sleeping

If you lie awake at night, unable to sleep, this could be a sign of depression. Many people suffering from depression have difficulty falling asleep, and even staying asleep, leaving them feeling exhausted constantly. On the flip side, sleeping too much could be a symptom of depression too. Taking frequent naps, struggling to wake up in the morning or looking forward to going to bed at night could all be depression symptoms.

Irritability

Most people associate depression with sadness. But sometimes depression causes anger and irritability over feeling hopeless or extremely sad. If your tolerance level is low, your temper short and everything and everyone around you gets on your nerves, these irritability warning signs could be due to depression. If people around you feel like they need to walk on eggshells, don’t ignore it. Take a moment to consider the possibility that you may be depressed.

Feeling Guilty

Guilt is a natural sensation at times, but if you have deep feelings of guilt about many areas of your life it could be a sign of depression. Unnecessarily blaming yourself for the events in your life isn’t healthy. Pay close attention to your inner monologue. If it’s constantly overly critical or harsh, it could be a sign of depression.

Aches & Pains

If you’re struggling with mental health issues, you’re likely to experience physical problems. There’s a link between your body and your mind. Depression and pain share some of the same biological pathways and neurotransmitters. Headaches, sore muscles or back pain can all be depression symptoms.

Getting Help

If you notice any of these depression symptoms, reach out and get help. My focus is to help you understand how your current view of situations, relationships, your career, family and friendships is helpful or harmful to you. Together we can determine what ongoing issues affect your ability to be happy, relate to others, and make better decisions for your life. I look forward to offering you support, encouragement and guidance as you reach your maximum potential.