Lachlan Brown
Life is truly overwhelming at times, and it can be hard to take the time to pay attention to how we are feeling or what our bodies are trying to tell us.
Did you know that 1 in 10 Americans suffers from some form of depression? And that’s just the statistics we know about. Many more cases of depression go unrecognized and untreated. There’s even the case of existential depression, which happens when you struggle with the uncertainties of life.
Sometimes, people don’t recognize the symptoms of depression in themselves because they don’t want to be labeled as someone who has depression, or because they are in denial. Or perhaps they have high functioning depression – able to appear as fine, doing all their normal tasks but on the inside they are depression.
Sometimes, though, it’s that people don’t understand what to look for and how depression can manifest itself in many ways.
Here are seven subtle signs of depression that you should not ignore.
1) You Are Irritable
While most people associate depression with sadness, it can also manifest itself in anger, irritability, and lack of patience with other people.
Because your mind is preoccupied with chemical imbalances related to depression, you can’t focus on what you need to, and it can cause you to feel like everything is bothering you.
2) You Can’t Sleep
If you thought depression meant sleeping for hours on end, you might be surprised to learn that many people can’t sleep when they are depressed.
Because our brains are firing on all cylinders trying to solve problems day and night, it can be hard for someone who has depression to relax enough to sleep.
3) You Are Sore All the Time
Depression can manifest itself in many physical ways including aches and pains. If you find yourself feeling sluggish and sore when you move, it could be related to depression, especially if you can’t find any other explanation for why you are feeling like that.
4) You Want to Lay on the Couch All Day
Energy is a commodity, and we only have so much of it a day. If you find you are waking up tired or never seem to be able to get up the gumption to do anything, it could be related to depression.
5) You Feel Guilty
Sometimes people spend a lot of time thinking about past decisions or events and it eats at them in a way that can bring out depression, or that is caused by depression.
If you are always feeling guilty about things you did and you can’t seem to get over things easily, you could be depressed.
6) You Make Stupid Decisions
People who suffer from depression will often try to hide their inner feelings with reckless behavior. This is a coping mechanism for people who are trying to let the world know they are alright.
For example, many people with depression drink or abuse drugs as a way to cope with how they are feeling. People with depression will gamble, have unprotected sex, drink, do drugs, and even rack up debt to soothe themselves.
If you start taking risks, you won’t be normally taking before it could be a sign of depression.
7) You Have Trouble Concentrating
Many people who have depression will tell you that they have a “fog” feeling that clouds their ability to do anything and it makes it hard to concentrate on even the simplest tasks.
If you find yourself becoming distracted more often and can’t get back on track, it could be a sign of depression.
Many people will try to avoid admitting they suffer from any form of depression because the stigma associated with depression and anxiety is still very apparent.
While it is becoming more mainstream and widely talked about, people who come from less-than-understanding families or who have been shamed for their depression in the past might be apprehensive about telling people about their depression.
The good news is that there is a lot of help out there to manage your depression, and you can start to feel like your old self again once you seek the help you need. Don’t hide it. You’ll be glad you talked to someone about your concerns.
The longer you wait for the more difficult it can be to get a handle on your symptoms so reach out to someone to get the help you need today.
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