Feeling down from time to time? It could be normal in some cases but if you are letting negative emotions like hopelessness and disheartenment take control of your life, then you might be suffering from depression. So, how to tell if you’re depressed? To help you answer this question, in this article, we are going to tell you about the different types of depression, the associated causes and risk factors, important signs to look out for, and when you should seek help.
What Is Depression?
When the feeling of sadness intensifies, it results in depression. It is how your brain responds to setbacks and struggles you face in your life. Depression can change a lot in your personality. It changes the way you think, feel, and act in your daily life.
It can disrupt your entire routine, messing with your working, studying, eating, and even sleeping patterns. You may feel angry as well as restless all the time. Depression should never be left untreated otherwise it could lead to different types of mental and physical health problems.
It’s a severe kind of a mood disorder, which results in a constant feeling of loss and you feel interested or excited about anything. With the help of many modern-day techniques, scientists have successfully identified the different types of depression to help cure people suffering from such a condition.
Types of Depression
The brain of every human being is unique and it reacts differently to different types of situations. Any event with which you are emotionally or mentally attached could lead to some chemical changes once you experience it.
These chemical changes in brains may vary from person to person and incident to incident, resulting in different types of depression.
If you want to get rid of depression, you need to get yourself first diagnosed as to which type of depression you’re suffering from.
Below we have listed some of the most common types of depression, which you should know about.
Major Depression
It is also known as major depressive disorder. You may feel a lack of interest in the daily activities you once enjoyed. You could get fat or thin, depending on your mental condition and preferences. While suffering from major depression, people also feel frustrated and agitated all the time.
Persistent Depression
If you are suffering from depression for more than two years, then you may be suffering a medical condition known as a persistent depressive disorder. It may make you feel deep sadness, emptiness, and loneliness. It could also lead to the feeling of low self-esteem, which is absolutely not good for your well being.
Manic Depression (Bipolar Disorder)
How to tell if you’re depressed? Let’s walk you through some of the most common symptoms of manic depression, which is also known as bipolar disorder. People with this type of depression feel high energy and suffer from insomnia. They may also develop very strange and self-destructive behavior.
Seasonal Depression
As the name suggests, seasonal depressive disorder comes and goes. It is not consistent in nature and is triggered by a particular season, which varies from person to person. People usually suffer from seasonal depression during the winter months. Anyone suffering from this depressive disorder wants to cut their social ties temporarily. It increases their need for sleep and they prefer staying alone until the depression lasts.
Signs to Look out for
You may be unhappy for a lot of reasons, but could it be depression? How to tell if you’re depressed? Here are some of the warning signs you need to be aware of. Have a look!
Being Hopeless
You may start feeling as if you are worthless after going through a disturbing situation or a setback in your life. Having a helpless outlook on your life is a major sign of some kind of depressive disorder.
Lack of Interest
The feeling of depression may take away all the excitement from the moments and things you once enjoyed. If you want to withdraw from hobbies and activities that you once looked forward to, you are suffering from depression.
Fatigue and Insomnia
Depression may multiply the feeling of fatigue, taking all the joy out of your life. You won’t feel energized or excited about anything anymore. Any depressive disorder you are suffering from could also disrupt your sleep patterns, resulting in insomnia and other kinds of sleep problems.
Anxiety
If you are constantly feeling restless, nervous, and tense, this could be because of the increased level of anxiety. The sudden spike in the symptoms of anxiety, such as panic, fear, or danger could also be a result of a depressive disorder
Change in Appetite
This symptom of depression varies from person to person. Some people would start skipping meals because they won’t feel hungry or their appetite for food is lost. While others would be eating more because they experience increased appetite, which could result in weight gain and make them vulnerable to obesity and its related health conditions.
Causes and Risk Factors
The four major causes and risk factors of depression have been listed and discussed as under:
Genetics (Family History)
If your family members have suffered from depression, there is a high chance that it would pass on to you. There are no specific genes or DNA associated with depression, at least, not known as of now.
Health Problems and Life-long Injuries
If you have developed a life-long medical condition or have been in an accident that has resulted in a physical injury that is hampering your daily routine, it could also have a negative impact on your mental health, making you more susceptible to depression.
Medication
Are you taking any strong medicinal drugs on a regular basis? If yes, then make sure to check their side effects. They may also lead to different types of depression, causing behavioral changes in your personality and affecting you mentally and emotionally.
Setback in Personal or Professional Life
This is one of the biggest causes and risks factors of depression. When things don’t go as expected and life starts getting you down, people take it on the heart and get themselves surrounded by the feeling of hopelessness. Suffering from such a situation, you are more prone to depression and its related health symptoms than anyone else. In such a case, you should prioritize your mental health to avoid becoming a victim of depression.
When Should You Seek Help?
If not treated or taken care of at an early stage, depressive disorders may get worse with time, causing unpleasant changes in your personality and lifestyle. It could even drive people away from you and put a bad influence on your coworkers. So, before things go out of hand, it is better to seek professional help.
After going through the information we have shared above about depression and some of its major symptoms, you would probably know how to tell if you’re depressed and what you need to do about it. It is better to identify depression at its earliest if you want to avoid risk factors associated with it.
