Depression
Depression is a significant and killer disease in America, resulting in high suicide rates. Men report higher rates of suicide than women due to factors such as not feeling able to seek help or share their experience with depression. Victims of depression often commit suicide due to despair and a belief that their situation can’t or won’t change.
However, with proper support structures, those suffering from depression can receive help and recover from the illness. One of the primary support structures includes family and friends who help the victim through a difficult time, however, many depressed individuals pass by unnoticed until its too late, and people are left wondering how and when it happened. Therefore, you should always remain alert and look for signs of depression in your friends and family to provide support promptly when needed. Professionals such as Isabel Legarda MD specialize in providing care to victims of depression and walking the journey towards recovery with you. Speak out whenever you feel distressed in order to receive the help and attention you need. You should work to develop the proper skills used to detect the hidden signs of depression and offer assistance when needed.
Changes in Sleeping Patterns
If you or your friend experience a change in sleeping patterns, it could serve as an early sign of depression. However, change in sleep patterns could also result in depression. If someone oversleeps for prolonged periods of time, it could be an early sign of depression. Monitor sleeping patterns and note any changes to determine the state of an individuals mental health and seek help.
Abuse of Drugs
Trace the alcohol intake and the use of drugs such as smoking and other hard drugs to the mood of the victim. A person with depression has mood swings that include anxiety pangs. The victim finds the anxiety pangs hard to control and calms them through drug abuse.
Hidden Sadness
Some people may have depression but hide it when in the company of other people. It would help if you were observant to note any changes while someone is in the company of people. It is crucial to trace such symptoms and investigate further on other signs to understand whether the person is depressed.
Tiredness
Fatigue is a common sign of depression. However, it may be hard to distinguish it from normal tiredness because a healthy person also experiences tiredness. Comparing the fatigue with other symptoms of depression will help rule out normal tiredness.
Changes in Eating Habits
Sudden changes in the weight of a person is a sign of depression. A person may suddenly add on too much weight due to excess food intake as comfort from depression. Other people reduce food intake to the point of starvation, thus losing weight dramatically due to the low moods. When you gain weight, the possibility of body inflammation increases, and so does the probability of increased depression from the condition.
Lack of Concentration
You may be having a conversation with someone, and they seem to lose their train of thought often while conversing. The memory lapses and the inability to sustain a conversation without displaying forgetfulness shows a person may be experiencing depression.
Pessimism
A person experiencing depression may either display high levels of negative feelings about the future when compared to those around them. They could also show higher expectations compared to those around them, thus showing depressive realism. However, it is vital to watch out for other symptoms of depression to confirm the presence of the disease.
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