Possibly everyone had to use this sentence at least once in lifetime. But, the meaning isn’t the same at every time. For one person it includes head ache, a flu or a fracture, for another one sleepless nights or not being able to enjoy life up to self-hatred.
Around the world, more than 350 millions of people suffer under depressions. But, the estimated number is even higher. The clinical picture is manifold – so are the causes. Due to the reason that the disease is invisible, no x-ray or blood test will diagnose depressions, they are not easy to understand and hard to grasp. Depressions are treacherous, they never are the same and there appears to be no particular logic. Outsiders often can’t understand why someone is feeling weak, tired or empty. Prejudices appear relatively quickly. Often, people concerned are called weak-minded and lazy. Exactly these clichés lead to the fact that people concerned reluctantly speak about their disease. Often, a “coming out” may take several years. In spite of an increasing acceptance during the last few years, depressions still are a taboo. After all, no one likes to be called a whiner.
Non-involved use the word “depressive” relatively carelessly: a bad mood quickly becomes a depressive mood, a gloomy, dreary movie is called depressive. People concerned use the word more carefully. They prefer paraphrases like: “I’m not doing well.”
Some signs of depressions like hopelessness or strong feelings of guilt are well known. But many indications are not known yet. Some hidden signs of a depression might be
- Changed eating habits and no appetite: Often, eating is connected with emotions. Some people suffer under attacks of ravenous appetite, some under a loss of appetite.
- In spite of (theoretically) sufficient sleep you are feeling whacked: Getting up is hard. You are feeling absolutely weak in the morning. Waking up very early resp. very late as well as sleep disturbances might indicate depressions. The sleep no longer seems to be restful.
- Forgetfulness and lack of concentration accumulate: For people concerned it is hard to concentrate. Furthermore, decisiveness disappears. Even easy and unimportant decisions are hard to make.
- Physical symptoms without medical background: Most people concerned suffer under physical symptoms like head ache, restlessness or nausea. Many people are not aware that they are depressive and look for justification elsewhere.
- Creativity ceases: creativity can take many forms. Some like crafting, some cooking, making music or jokes. In case this devotion gets lost it might be a serious sign for a depression.
- Taste in music radically changes: Happy songs no longer sound happy but boring. Sad songs bring tears to your eyes? Or – you completely abandon music although it used to be an integral part of your life.
In any case, take depressions serious. They have to be clarified resp. accompanied by a doctor.
In the next article learn how to distinguish depressions from sadness.
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This post is also available in / Diesen Beitrag gibt es auch in: German
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