Depression is difficult to deal with especially when you feel like you’re alone in your struggles and out of control of what is happening around you. You may feel like you can’t control your depression symptoms like fatigue, lack of motivation, or general unrest throughout the day. You may feel like it’s the end of the world and can’t even muster up enough determination to get out of bed and conquer what the day has in store. You may feel insecure, lonely, and angry at what has happened to your mind and body regardless of what type of depression you have. If any of these thoughts crossed through your mind, know that it’s not the bottom line of what your health will be.
As someone who has suffered through over half a year of symptoms of depression, I know first hand how hard it can be to go through it with a busy lifestyle. It’s difficult enough to feel like you are stuck in the pits during the day, but it’s even harder to open up to your family or a therapist to get the help you need. All you want to have is a listening ear, but the people around you may judge you immediately and just tell you to “look on the bright side” in order to feel better. Remember that relying solely on your close family and friends is the biggest mistake you can make, because even though they may love and care for you, they are not trained thoroughly enough to be your rehab specialist. To get truly better with your symptoms of depression, it’s crucial to learn more about what your body is telling you during the process and how to approach professional help. It may be intimidating at first when you think about seeing a doctor or starting a rehab program, but the long term results are definitely worth the time and effort. Let’s walk through some symptoms of depression that may not be discussed as often by experts and how to cope with them upfront.
- Depression can stem from many mental and physical causesin your life. At the same time, some symptoms of depression can be a lot more subtle than the ones that are shown on TV or the mainstream media. The first major sign is that you’re in pain, as studies show that almost 75% of people with types of depression suffer from recurring or chronic pain. In fact, different people with symptoms of depression were even four times more likely to have intense neck and lower back pain than those who were not depressed. People who are stuck in a negative state of mind are more likely to obsess over their bodily functions more than usual, so discomforts are amplified. A person might also experience frequent pain in their stomach or head, which also ties into that increased sensitivity to physical pain as well. Be mindful about when and where you are experiencing pain throughout the day to tell if you are going through a case of depression.
- Another key sign of having symptoms of depression is experiencing weight gain. No matter what you may be eating late at night, inhaling a lot of comfort food definitely contributes to an increase in serotonin. This chemical is housed in the brain and controls your mood after you finish your tasty meal. Yet, over time intensely emotional eating can lead to substantial weight gain and feelings of shame. Additionally, having very high levels of stress makes it difficult to drop enough pounds and stick to a healthy weight loss plan.
- You find yourself being more grouchy than usual. It’s not uncommon that the slightest mistake or unfortunate event can send you into an uncontrollable rage. In a study done in 2013 by the journal JAMA Psychiatry, it was found that at least 54% of people with depression reported feeling extremely hostile, argumentative, and foul-tempered during the most random of times. Having one of those emotions can easily lead to experiencing another as negativity has a reputation for sticking in your mind.
- You feel For people who are depressed for a long period of time, they may feel cold or have decreased reactions to their environment as part of their defense mechanism. This type of dead feeling is a tell-tale sign of depression, and it can make you seem cold, distant or just plain aloof throughout your daily schedule. It feels much easier pushing away the people who regularly provide you ample love and support than to open up.
- You’re not taking care of yourself anymore. Even if your grooming routine was not the most high maintenance before you had symptoms of depression, it may completely sink when you are experiencing depression. In a 2014 survey that included more than 10,000 people, at least 61% who reported back said they had poor oral health. People let several aspects of their lifestyle sink when they can’t keep up with their mental health. Ultimately, not completely caring about what you look like on the exterior is a significant sign of negative issues going on from the inside.
Get Professional Help
If any of these symptoms ring a bell, make sure to skip the conversation with your best friend about your depression and instead seek a trained professional who can genuinely help your needs. They work around the clock to find what your triggers are and will form a customized plan to get your mental health back to normal. From following a better diet and training regimen to taking an antidepressant and taking therapy, there’s a wide range of choices to discover!
