Signs Of Depression And Some Common Risk Factors

Everybody goes through phases of life, when he/she is feeling down, or depressed, for a shorter stretch of time; it may be after a painful emotional experience, like losing a loved one, or breaking up with a partner, or even increased stress, and the feeling that one is not capable of doing his/her daily duties because of this increased stress. However, in most of the cases, these depressed moods disappear in the normal course of everyday life, with the help of enjoyable activities, or the support of friends. However, still, these signs of depression seem to persist sometimes, in which case, we could really be talking about a case of depression. It is quite important thus to be aware of the signs of depression, as the sooner one discovers that he/she is having depression, not just feeling sad for a shorter time, the sooner can something be done about it, be it a change in the normal routine, seeing a doctor and being diagnosed or attending psychotherapy sessions for example.

Signs Of Depression

There are a variety of symptoms of depression, naturally, you will not be experiencing all of them, but they can be regarded as quite characteristic. You will generally be feeling helpless and hopeless, having a bleak outlook on your life and your future in general, feeling that nothing can ever possibly get better. You can also experience changes in your sleep pattern, insomnia, or hypersomnia, not being able to sleep at all, or oversleeping, and as a result, feeling fatigued all day. You can be irritated, easily annoyed or angered, even over small matters. As a further sign of depression, you can experience significant weight loss or gain. Having a bleak outlook on life, you will generally not enjoy even your favorite activities and pastimes or sex for example. In more severe cases, one who is suffering from depression may also have suicidal thoughts as an important sign of depression. You will also have concentration problems, as a result of your feeling fatigued and of course your general loss of interest, you will not be able to focus on the task you are doing and will tend to forget things.

Risk Factors Of Depression

To be able to recognize the signs of depression as soon as possible, it is also important to be aware of some risk factors for depression. Factors, such as loneliness, financial problems, and lack of social support, health problems and persisting physical pain or relationship problems can easily trigger depression. People who have suffered a childhood trauma or physical abuse as a child, or those who have a family history of depression are also at more serious risk, regarding the signs of depression and the illness itself.