How can you get a real feel for what depression is- Most people who get depressed for the first time have a hard time realizing what it is. As a matter of fact, it is often someone close to you who asks what is wrong, what is going on. This sort of makes you think that yes, there is a problem and there are things which are going wrong.
Here are some very typical symptoms of depression
Things depressed people say:
- Talking about feelings of sadness or emptiness
- Saying they are hopeless that things will get better
- Saying that they are no good and worthless
- Saying that they have no interest in anything
Personality Changes:
- Unable to make decisions
- Unable to concentrate and remember
- Having trouble at home, work, or school
- Hiding out, not talking
- Slowed down movement
Common Complaints of Depression:
- No energy, feeling slowed down
- Trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, waking early
- Appetite problems and gaining or losing weight
- Many physical complaints like headache, backache
- Feeling guilty about past actions
- Feeling unloved and unwanted
Obvious Behavior Changes:
- Unable to Stop Crying
- Acting irritable, restless, and angry
- Insisting on being alone
- Stopping normal activities like hobbies or interests
- Taking drugs or heavy alcohol use
Dropping Hints About:
- Death and Dying
- Committing Suicide
- Your life after he or she is gone
- Giving things away
- Seeing loved one who have died
- It’s finally going to be over
Look For Signs of Depression in You or Someone You Love -
Take the Depression Indicator Test:
Put a check mark by each statement that applies:
( ) I am really sad most of the time.
( ) I don’t enjoy doing the things I’ve always enjoyed doing.
( ) I don’t sleep well at night and am very restless.
( ) I am always tired. I find it hard to get out of bed.
( ) I don’t feel like eating much.
( ) For no reason I eat all the time.
( ) I feel like eating all the time.
( ) I have lots of aches and pains that don’t go away.
( ) I have little to no sexual energy or interest.
( ) I find it hard to focus and am very forgetful.
( ) I am mad at everybody and everything.
( ) I feel upset and fearful, but can’t figure out why.
( ) I don’t feel like talking to people.
( ) I feel the good part of my life is over.
( ) I feel like I’m walking around in a fog.
If you have marked more than five of these symptoms, you are depressed and need to get the help you deserve.
Here are some stories about people who have been depressed and how they learned about their illness:
Jane’s story:
“It was really hard to get out of bed in the morning. I just
wanted to hide under the covers and not talk to anyone. I
didn’t feel much like eating and I lost a lot of weight.
Nothing seemed fun anymore. I was tired all the time, but
I wasn’t sleeping well at night. I knew that I had to keep
going because I’ve got kids and a job. It just felt so
impossible, like nothing was going to change or get
better.
I started missing days from work, and a friend noticed that
something wasn’t right. She talked to me about the time
that she had been really depressed and had gotten help
from her doctor. I called my doctor and talked about how I
was feeling. She had me come in for a checkup and gave
me the name of a psychiatrist who she had sent other
patients to who were depressed. Now, I’m seeing the
psychiatrist once a month and taking anti depressant
medicine. Everything didn’t get better overnight, but I find
myself more able to enjoy life and my children. And I
don’t think about death the way I did before. It scared me
because I have kids to rise and they need me.
Ed’s story:
Things in my life were going all right. I had just finished
college and was starting a new job. My family was really
proud of me. But inside, I was feeling terrible. At first I
was feeling sad all the time, even though I had no reason
to be. Then the sadness turned into anger, and I started
having fights with my family and friends. I felt really bad
about myself, like I wasn’t good enough for anyone. It got
so bad that I wished I would go to bed and never wake
up. My older brother, who I always looked up to, saw that
I wasn’t acting like my usual self. He told me straight out
that I seemed depressed and that I should talk to a doctor
about it. I hate going to the doctor. I thought, ‘No way am I
going in and tell some guy I’m a wuss.’ But after a few
weeks, I started having problems at work too. Sometimes
I wouldn’t show up because I wasn’t able to sleep the
night before. When I got fired, I knew I had to listen to my
brother and get help. I saw a doctor at the health clinic.
He told me I had a common illness called depression and
that treatment could help. So I started taking anti
depressants. I had to switch around because one
seemed to help but had side effects and another didn’t
work as well as I needed. It took about 5 months but
finally I started feeling much better. I think I’m ready to get
started with my life now.
These are just sample stories and maybe you do not see yourself here. But you can see that very ordinary people get depression and can get better if they seek out help to overcome depression.