Millions of people across the US deal with depression each year, and major depression is actually one of the country’s most common mental health issues. This disease can affect lives significantly and in many different ways, and it is something people can get at any age or stage of life.
As such, we all need to know how to be on the lookout for signs of this mental health condition, in ourselves and others. Here are some symptoms you may not have realized were often part of depression.
Physical Pain
While depression is a mental health issue, it can present itself in physical ways, too. For instance, depression can manifest with back, shoulder, neck, joint, and limb pain, as well as frequent headaches. Plus, some people get stomach aches or pain in other parts of their bodies. One of the reasons this might occur is that the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine affect both our mood and pain levels, so an issue with one can cause a problem with the other.
Appetite Changes
A common change people notice when they’re depressed is that they eat a lot more or a lot less. Depression can affect how much you want to eat, which makes sense considering many of us are emotionally-based consumers. Keep in mind that other mental health challenges, such as eating disorders, can also significantly affect appetite, so if you’re concerned you might be facing anorexia, bulimia, or another illness, speak with a doctor or therapist ASAP.
Insomnia and Other Sleep Disturbances
When our mood is low, our brains tend to focus on many negative things. As a result, many people find that they get insomnia when depressed and struggle for weeks or months at a time to sleep. Alternatively, you may fall asleep okay but wake up at intervals throughout the night and feel wide awake or rise way too early.
Another issue could be frequent nightmares and night terrors. These can also be connected to mental health concerns such as depression. Unfortunately, they can lead to vicious cycles, too, where a lack of sleep makes you feel stressed, frustrated, emotional, and lethargic, which in turn affects your mood and then keeps you up at night even more.
Trouble Concentrating
Have you found, lately, that you can barely concentrate for more than 15 minutes at a time on your work or can’t seem to sit still to watch a movie or TV show? Perhaps you find yourself drifting off during conversations with people? Do you feel like you’re constantly battling a bad case of brain fog? Trouble staying focused is another symptom of depression, and it can be made worse by getting too little sleep or not eating well, or exercising enough due to your low mood.
Getting More Frequent Colds and Flu
A key depressive symptom you may not be aware of is the increase in the tendency for those with depression to get more frequent colds and cases of flu. This seems strange, but it’s believed that severely low mood negatively affects the immune system, making the body more susceptible to viruses and infections. Plus, depression can make it harder to fight off sickness, meaning it takes longer to get over every bug you come down with.
Some other symptoms of depression to understand include extreme moods (especially anger and irritability), low sex drive, memory changes, high blood pressure, weight fluctuations, and constipation and other gut-related changes.
What to Do if You Think You’re Depressed
If reading about some of these signs of depression has alerted you that you may be suffering from this mental health problem, take some steps to move forward. Start by seeing your physician, whether in person or online. They may want to put you on tablets to help lift your mood. Check out Plushcare depression medication for information about some of the commonly prescribed antidepressants. It also pays to start seeing a therapist to discuss what might have led you down the path to depression and come up with strategies for managing it.
It pays to journal regularly and try deep breathing, meditation, and mindfulness exercises, too. Furthermore, let your family and friends know what you’re dealing with so they can better support you.
Depression is a tricky illness to deal with, but the sooner you spot the signs that you may be struggling with it, the sooner you can get some help and take proactive steps to start feeling better.
