Many of us have heard or even said this to our friends ‘ You look all fine to me. I saw you at the bar the other night. You socialize so much. Oh! You have so many friends how can you be depressed?’
Depression is one of the most common mental illnesses and many people are suffering through it. However, we seldom speak about it. And seeking help is out of the question. It is a matter of pride and prestige.
People will find it hard to believe you are suffering from depression unless you lock yourself in, you shut your drapes, you sleep all day, and all night, the smile becomes an abstract object to you and you do not understand what the word happiness refers to. They have got it all wrong. You could be socializing, you could be attending parties, showing up at your work or school regularly, being punctual as well, and still, you could be depressed. The feeling of emptiness never leaves your mind and your body is a dead soul. Depression has many forms, different symptoms, and different methods to deal with. It has been said to diagnose as a depression patient you need to feel five symptoms of depression for at least 2 weeks.
So before you go out there making fun of your friends or telling them to stop pretending there are a few symptoms of depression that might help you to understand better.
- Neglecting friends and hobbies:
People who are depressed or who are likely to be suffering from depression tend to lose interest in their hobbies. For example, if you are someone who loves gardening, and that gives joy, pleasure. But lately, you don’t find it interesting or joyful as before. Chances are you must be going through depressive disorder. Or if you used to love hanging out with your friends and socialize but you haven’t had the energy or enthusiasm for a while, then you might be suffering from depression.
- Changes in sleep pattern:
Most people who are in depression experience an extreme change in their sleeping patterns. You either suffer from insomnia which means you cannot sleep at all. Or it might lead to hypersomnia, where you might be sleeping 10 hours or 12 hours a day and still wake up feeling tired.
3.Change in appetite:
People suffering from depression are likely to experience changes in their appetite. If you were a light eater and all of sudden you seem to be consuming a lot more than you used to, you might be undergoing depressive emotions. Or if you were a heavy eater and all of sudden you seem to lose your appetite then you should seek professional help. Depression patients are presumably suffering from either eating too much or eating too little.
4.Low self-esteem:
This is one of the major effects of depression. If you are depressed, you might have low self-esteem and very low self-confidence. You often struggle with believing in yourself. It makes you see only the negative side of yourself.
5.The decrease in hygiene:
As mentioned earlier, depressed people lose their interest in hobbies and friends. You might as well experience changes in your hygiene. You might not want to take a shower or brush your teeth or comb your hair. In simple language, you lack enthusiasm in self-grooming.
- Irritability :
Have you ever felt annoyed or irritated? Now don't go assuming you are depressed just because you are irritated. But if you are irritated or annoyed from everything and anything, if you try to stop it but it’s a hopeless situation and you constantly find yourself irritated for no reason then there might be something to be worried about.
- Flat emotions:
There is a misconception that depressed people feel sad all the time. But in reality, depressed people have flat emotions. You might not be sad but you cannot be happy as well. You neither feel sadness or happiness for that matter.
- Feeling hopeless:
This is a major problem people with depression go through. When you are under depression, you feel hopeless about everything. You feel hopeless about getting better or about achieving your goals and dreams. You lose the interest to make an effort because you see no point in trying.
- Sense of worthlessness:
And lastly, a sense of worthlessness. Have you ever felt like you are not enough? Your effort is not enough. Being just you is not enough. Life is not enough. You feel worthless, you neglect yourself, you hate yourself. You are not being overdramatic, there might be chances that you are depressed and you need help.
Now that you have some idea about depression and its symptoms, analyze yourself. Have you been feeling any of the symptoms mentioned above for some time now? Do you have trouble getting out of bed every morning? Do you go to bed wishing not to see the next morning? You might be surrounded by people and still feel lonely, you might laugh all the time, cracking jokes, making others laugh as well and still feel sad. You might be praised and admired by everyone and still feel empty. If you are feeling such emotions or if you know someone going through this phase reach out to them, speak up, and seek help. We are all here for you, you are not alone. As it has been said by John Green ‘there is a hope even when your brain tells you there isn’t’
(AAshriti Shrestha)