Early signs of depression
by Kehinde Matthew
Depression is real. As unlikely for you to think you can ever be depressed, depression can set in very subtly. It can creep in ever so quietly that you might not even know you are depressed.
It can affect anyone; young or old, rich or poor, female or male and last for years! This is why it is important to take note of the early symptoms of depression so that you can take necessary actions.
FEELING HOPELESS:
“What’s the point?”, “It can never get better”, “it’s no use”. These general outlooks about life can be early signs of depression. Feelings that there’s nothing you can do to improve your situation and that things will remain the way they are forever, feelings of emptiness, helplessness, sadness, and despair are indicators of depression.
LOSS OF INTEREST:
When you begin to lose interest in what gives you joy, depression might just be around the corner. Depression can rob you of the joy or fun you used to derive from sports, social activities, reading, cooking, etc. You could be more withdrawn socially and lose interest in everything.
SELF-LOATHING:
When the feeling of being empty, valueless, worthless, insignificant, useless and unloved overwhelms you and refuses to go, depression may be underway. When all you see are the wrongs in your life and hate yourself, your body or your situation for one reason or the other, these are signs of depression.
CONCENTRATION PROBLEMS:
Usually, because of a general loss in interest, you could find your mind drifting off in the middle of some conversations or situations. You may begin to have problems remembering things and concentrating even in very serious conversations.
LOSS OF ENERGY
Exhaustion, severe fatigue, weariness, lack of energy and general tiredness especially to engage in daily activities and relationships, may also be indicators of depression.
SLEEPING ISSUES:
This can be in two ways; excessive sleeping and lack of adequate sleeping. The loss of energy can make you oversleep while self-loathing can lead to insomnia.
Insomnia can, in turn, lead to anxiety which in turn leads to mood swings, feelings of tearfulness, tension as well as feeling out of control.
If you have identified two or more of these symptoms, reach out to mental health professionals or those who can lead you to them. You can click here for help from MANI https://www.mentallyaware.org/contact/
