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.
