Early Warning Signs of
Depression
Depression is a condition that is often overlooked and
misdiagnosed. This is partly because the onset can be a bit
more subtle than many other psychological disorders. Many
times, it's hard to spot the signs of depression because they
appear slowly, over a period of time.
This is different than other conditions such as bipolar
disorder which is characterized by dramatic mood swings from
one extreme to the other. For this reason, many people find
themselves dealing with severe depression before they even
realize they need treatment. This article will provide you with
some early warning signs of depression, so that you can take
action to prevent it from becoming severe.
Sadness and Anxiety
Most people associate depression with periods of feeling down
or sadness, and in large part that is true. Early signs of
depression will certainly include feelings of extreme sadness
and guilt, as well as crying for no apparent reason. Many
people experience these feelings in response to a specific
event or situation in their lives, but depression is different.
With depression, you cannot pinpoint a cause for the way you
are feeling, and in many cases, this in itself can make the
condition worse.
Another sign of depression is anxiety. Anxiety is usually
associated with feeling jumpy or nervous. Normal anxiety is
often caused by a certain event or circumstance as well, but
when it accompanies depression, often there is no cause you can
think of. The fact that you cannot figure out why you are so
anxious makes you even more anxious, and this feeds the
depression.
Lethargy and Disinterest
Another early warning sign of depression shows up as an overall
lack of interest. This includes food, sex, and anything else
that you previously enjoyed. You loose interest in social
aspects of your life as well. You don't feel like talking to or
seeing even your closest friends and family.
One of the most common signs of depression is a lack of energy
and ambition. Some people compare it to how you feel when you
are coming down with the flu. All you want to do is lay around,
and if you do move, you are weak and achy. Some people want to
do nothing but sleep when they are getting depressed. When this
happens, sooner or later you will begin to have feelings of
guilt because you are lying around and not doing anything.
This, in turn, will worsen the overall condition of depression
that you are feeling.
As you can see, if depression is not identified early and dealt
with, it can feed on itself and spiral out of control.
Unfortunately, many people leave this condition untreated until
it gets to that point. In some cases, it gets to the point
where they become suicidal because they have lost all hope and
don't even know why.
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