Signs of Depression

Signs of Depression

Depression is not an easy disorder to be diagnosed; every one of us can feel down from time to time and it may prove hard to tell these normal situations from the real signs of depression. Living in a chaotic world full of stress, having to cope with family issues, responsibilities in our jobs, and any loss that occurs in our lives may cause depression-like feelings and situations that could be hard to distinguish. We may loose our self confidence sometimes, lose interest in the things we used to enjoy and show a lot of other symptoms that could be easily attributed to depressive disorders. So how can we tell the difference? How can we know if we are truly displaying signs and symptoms of depression?

Signs of Depression: Major Depression Symptoms

If the depressive feelings you are having are caused by an important and negative event like the loss of someone you loved, a major financial crisis, loss of a job or serious family problems, and if those feelings last for a rather short period of time, what you experience may well be the natural result of such events, and not imply any depressive disorder. After all, when you suffer a major loss or a serious problem, you cannot be expected to be high in spirit.

But if these signs of depression last for an extended period of time and start to affect your personal and professional life, it may be time to seek professional help. If not diagnosed and treated immediately, major depressive disorder or manic depression symptoms may disrupt your life and in extreme cases can even lead to suicidal tendencies. And since no one can surely know what another person feels, it is up to you to recognize the symptoms of depression and tell them apart from normal bad moods in the first place. Statistics indicate that more than half of potential depression patients never see a doctor about their conditions, never get medical help and suffer serious consequences caused by this psychological disorder.

The major signs of depression include loss of appetite or overeating, insomnia or oversleeping, difficulty to concentrate or remember basic things, indecision, constant feelings of emptiness, sadness and pessimism and loss of interest against things you liked to do such as your hobbies or social activities. If you experience these feelings for an extended period of time, you may well be showing symptoms of depression, and you should seek immediate medical assistance in order to prevent the situation from escalating and reaching dangerous and life threatening levels.

Signs of Depression: What to Do If Someone You Love Displays Suicidal Tendencies

One of the most dangerous outcomes of clinical depression is the tendency to commit suicide. Although it’s not a very common situation, severe clinical depression may start to bring forth such tendencies in any person, and if not recognized and treated on time, the tendencies may turn to action and the person may commit suicide.

If you know anyone who has been depressed lately, you should watch out for these signs: if someone who was feeling very sad and depressed for a long time suddenly starts to act and look happy and calm, starts to talk about dying all the time, setting things in order as if they were going to die and completely lose interest with their jobs, hobbies and social lives, you should be alarmed and seek help without losing time. You should call the suicide hot lines to seek professional help and contact your family doctor for immediate treatment. You can call the 1-800-784-2433 suicide hotline or 1-800-799-4889 (deaf hotline) if your hearing is impaired.

Signs of depression should be taken very seriously, especially if they last for more than a couple of days or weeks depending on the severity any recent losses or bad experiences. Most of us do not like to see and talk to “shrinks”, but it will be worth it if a life is at stake.