Parvathi

Depression is one of the most common mental health disorders. Currently, around 5% of adults in the world are suffering from depression. With a large number of people suffering from this disorder, there has been increased awareness surrounding it.  Despite this, there is considerable confusion between what can be considered sadness and depression. Therefore, understanding whether what you are going through is depression, lies in understanding the symptoms of depression.  Understanding the symptoms of depression, and what it is like can help you reach out for better mental health resources, treatment options, and work towards improving your mental health. In this article, we aim to give you more clarity on what depression is, it’s signs, some ways to manage depression, and options for treatment. However, if you are curious to learn more about sadness, and how to manage sadness, you can read more about it here.  Understanding The Symptoms Of Depression How can you tell if you are depressed? Depression can have clear, and sometimes vague signs, that go unnoticed.  Depression can be understood as a constant feeling of sadness or hopelessness, which doesn’t go away easily. Depression, like other mental health disorders, significantly impact your ability to function in your personal, social, school, and professional life. While screening for depression, here are some physical, mental, and emotional  Depression also manifests in the form of physical, mental, and emotional symptoms:  Physical symptoms Sudden weight loss or weight gain Shifts in sleep patterns, sleeping too much, or too less Anxiety about the future or past events Random pains, body aches, and numbness that come up without any explanation Excessive crying, or sometimes, finding it very difficult to cry Emotional and Mental Symptoms Irritation or anger towards yourself or others Excessive shame and guilt Engaging in reckless behavior such as binge drinking, drunk driving, so on Difficulty concentrating on tasks Feeling numb and zoned out during conversations Feeling lost and hopeless Feeling tired  Engaging in suicidal and self-harm behaviors, or having thoughts about suicide* We are not a crisis intervention center, hence if you feel actively suicidal or have frequent suicidal thoughts, we strongly recommend speaking to a crisis or suicide helpline. Differences Between Symptoms Of Depression And Sadness Depression can often look like extreme sadness. However, there are differences between the two that can help you effectively identify  what you are going through. -Sadness is a common, normal human emotion everyone experiences occasionally that goes away with time. But, depression is a serious mental health condition  that requires professional help and support.  -Sadness can be triggered by certain life events and usually have a cause behind the emotion. Depression can appear due to a variety of reasons and it can be difficult to identify a single trigger.  -While depression may appear to be similar to sadness to others, depression is more severe and intense, and its symptoms can take longer to alleviate than sadness.  -When compared to sadness, depression can severely impact normal functioning and the quality of our lives. Sadness is only temporary and usually doesn’t affect your daily life.  -Depression is also characterized by suicidal thoughts, and intentions to end one’s life. This, however, is not noticed with sadness. Dealing With Depression Symptoms The signs and symptoms of depression can often feel like there is little to no way out of it. However, there are numerous ways, apart from therapy or medication, to manage depression through self-help techniques. Here are some ways you can support yourself through depression. Seek support from the people around  you: Depression can often make you feel withdrawn from others. However, putting in slight efforts to engage with your family, friends, and loved ones can help you feel better. Talking to your loved ones about your feelings, can also make you feel heard and validated and can lessen the intensity of the depression. Engage in activities you like to do: A common symptom of depression is to lose interest in things you like to do usually. Therefore, trying to pursue your usual hobbies and newer ones can help you feel lighter and can improve your mood.  Maintain regular mild to moderate physical activity: Exercise and mild physical activities help in releasing endorphins, which are known as the “feel-good” hormones. Having a good amount of endorphins in your system helps you feel happier and can alleviate your symptoms of depression. Mild physical activity can also help in managing your sleep cycle and the pains in your body as well.  Manage Anxiety: Anxiety commonly occurs with depression. When anxiety happens along with depression, it can cause you to get stuck in negative thought spirals. With depression it also becomes easier for you to believe in the negative thoughts. Therefore, managing anxiety with the help of mindfulness meditation, therapy, and other techniques can help lessen the intensity of the depressive symptoms.  Notice your negative thoughts: This is inspired by Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, which is a form of therapy that works on unhelpful, negative thought patterns. With depression and anxiety, our mind tends to be stuck onto negative thoughts and core beliefs we hold true about ourselves, others, and the world. These extreme, negative thoughts can bring about negative emotions, which overtime lead to anxiety and depression. One of the first steps to work on depression is to observe the negative thoughts we have in our daily life. Noting these down and learning to believe in a more balanced version of these thoughts can therefore, bring about positive emotions.  Consume a balanced diet: Our gut is known as our “second brain.” Our brain and gut are in constant communication and their activities influence one another. Therefore, what we feed our gut ultimately affects what we think and how we feel. Having a balanced, healthy diet with limited processed foods can improve our gut health, which thereby improves our mental well-being.  Feeling low? Counseling can be a great tool for you to manage and overcome depression and lead a happy, balanced life. We are here for you. Book an Appointment Therapy