In this article I will explain How to know if you have depression , Whether you are child and adult, from 7 mental and physical signs.
Everyone at some point feels sad or melancholy, generally for some particular reason. But these moments are temporary and after a few days, negative feelings disappear.
Depression is a fairly common disease, but it is a serious condition that can have serious consequences if it is not treated.
That is why it is important to know if you have depression, Distinguish symptoms And in case of recognition, consult a psychiatrist to reverse the situation.
When a person experiences some type of depression (there are different variants in depressive disorders), the feelings of sadness are permanent and interfere with the activities of daily life
If you think you may have depression or think that someone close to you may be suffering from this disease, pay attention to the following symptoms.
Main symptoms to know if you have depression
1-Long-term depressive mood
If you feel sad During all or most of the day for more than two weeks and if your mood seems to be a little better in the morning but gets worse by the end of the day then you may be going through a depression.
People with depression You feel sad and discouraged almost all the time, without this situation being attributable to the Use of psychoactive substances Or to the presence of some other mental disorder.
People with depression often think things like"I'm worthless","I feel unable to carry on my life,"because the depressed state can be accompanied by low self-esteem.
If you have cried practically every day in the last two weeks, or much more than before, this could also be another symptom of depression.
2-Loss of interest in activities before pleasurable
Lack of interest and inability to enjoy activities that were once pleasant and enjoyable is another major symptom of depression: depressed people lose interest in activities they previously enjoyed, including sexual intercourse.
Before you wanted to have a free time to ride a bike or go for a walk and now you do not enjoy it anymore? Do not you have a good time when you meet friends or family? Does sex no longer interest you in the least?
If you answered yes to these questions, you should consult the doctor.
3-Sleep Disorders
Often, people who suffer from depression have trouble falling asleep (conciliation insomnia), staying asleep (maintenance insomnia), or waking up very early in the morning.
In other cases however, a symptom of depression may be the Hypersomnia Day, that is to say, to have much sleep during the day. Then, if you feel permanently sad and sleep all day, you may be suffering from depression.
Visit this article To know how to combat insomnia..
4-Appetite disturbances
In many people depression causes a decrease in appetite. So much so that frequently sufferers of this disease lose more than 5% of body weight in just one month.
However, the opposite situation can also happen. In some people, anxiety in combination with depression can trigger uncontrolled appetite, and for this reason some people with depression eat anything at any time of the day or night.
If you have weight problems, You may be interested in this item On the prevention of obesity.
5-Lack of energy
Are you tired or tired all day? Do you feel that you do not have the energy to perform everyday tasks, which you did beforehand without problems?
It is another of the symptoms of depression, increased fatigue and decreased vitality. This chronic fatigue, together with the loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities and chronic sadness, are the three most important symptoms of depression.
Inactivity or passivity is a characteristic that occurs frequently in patients who have depression. In more severe cases, people can stop going to work because of their lack of energy.
The movements in general may be slowed down, although in some cases there may also be agitation.
6-Loss of self-esteem and self-confidence
It is common for people with depression to have a Feeling of inferiority Not justified, which extends over time.
Those who are depressed often have thoughts such as,"I disgust"or"I can never achieve my goals"or"I am useless." And it is here that there are also constant and disproportionate self-reproaches and feelings of guilt Excessive and inadequate.
Depressed people usually feel very vulnerable to the opinions of others and often interpret that they will be rejected, low self-esteem .
7-Decreased ability to concentrate
Many people with depression find it difficult Focus on work or other activities And can not think clearly. This is often accompanied by a Lack of decision And a very negative vision of the future.
Other feelings often associated with depression are apathy, hopelessness, irritability and a feeling of permanent discomfort.
8-Suicidal Thoughts
The person who is depressed observes the world and its events in a very pessimistic and negative way. Life can be seen as a dark tunnel with no way out, without any encouragement or hope for the future.
With this scenario, many begin to think that life is absurd, that it makes no sense to live. Guilty feelings worsen the situation, many people think they are a burden to others, and begin to think about suicidal ideas As a possible solution for your situation. If this is happening to you, you should go to a medical appointment urgently.
Depression is a disease that in most cases improves or cures with proper treatment.
Diagnosis of depression
As previously mentioned, depression may present cognitive, emotional and physical symptoms, with special emphasis on the emotional area. In many cases the doctor can easily detect depression because the symptoms are clear, but in other cases the diagnosis is not so simple, because depression usually appears along with other pathologies.
Whatever your case, you should consult your doctor to find out if you have depression. He will ask you several questions at the clinical interview and these will be the main data you will use for the diagnosis.
Ask about your family history, the events of your life, your habits and your feelings. You must be totally sincere and open so that the doctor can arrive at a correct diagnosis.
Special cases
There are some special circumstances in which depression may have different symptoms. Here are some of them:
- Psychotic Depression
Psychotic depression Occurs when a severe depressive disorder appears in combination with certain forms of psychosis. In these cases there may be a lack of contact with reality, hallucinations and delusions.
- Bipolar disorder
Also called Manic depression , Is not as common a condition as major depression. These patients present cyclic changes between two totally opposite moods: a manic state with euphoria, hyperactivity and verbiage, and another mood completely depressive, opposite to the first.
- Postpartum depression
In the Postpartum depression Symptoms begin to appear in the first few days after giving birth. It is estimated that about 10-15% of women suffer from this type of depression.
- Depression in old age
Symptoms of Depression in the elderly May be different from those usually found in young adults. Mood disturbance is usually not so marked and in some cases, depression may be masked by other somatic symptoms, memory failure, anxiety, or irascibility.
This set of symptoms may even resemble those of senile dementia, and in these cases it is then spoken of depressive pseudo-dementia.
When an old man gets depressed, this situation is often considered as a natural aspect at this stage of life, but this is a mistake. Depression in the elderly, if not properly diagnosed and therefore not treated, can have very negative consequences on the quality of life of the elderly and cause a lot of pain in their relatives.
On many occasions, when the depressed elder consults with the doctor, he only describes physical symptoms, for he often finds it difficult to talk about his hopelessness and sadness.
- Depression in children and adolescents
Children and adolescents They can also suffer from depression and present symptoms very different from adults.
In children younger than 7 years, the most common symptom in depression is anxiety. They show frequent tantrums, irritability, crying without reason, lack of interest in habitual games, excessive fatigue or increased motor activity. School phobia may also occur.
In children between 7 and 13 years old there may be aggression, irritation, recurrent ideas about death, apathy, sadness and agitation or psychomotor inhibition.
In adolescents, Negative behaviors And social disor- ders, social isolation, drug or alcohol abuse, fear of being rejected, neglect of personal care, eating disorders and attention deficit disorders, among others.
If you feel identified with some of the symptoms described in this article, do not hesitate to consult your doctor. Your problems have a solution, look for the help you need!
What other symptoms do you have and which I have not mentioned?