Not everybody who is sad and moody suffers from depression. Depression is a very commonly used term these days and most of them tend to use it every time they feel sad. Sure, everybody does feel sad, lonely, lost and irritated sometimes and these are normal reactions to some loss or the struggles that life throws at you. But it is to be taken seriously only when these symptoms become overwhelming, going beyond one’s control and persisting for a long period of time thereby impacting your life in a negative way. Most of the time, the initial stages of depression have symptoms that are very silent and may not catch the attention of the people around you. In most cases, the patient usually goes to a psychiatrist only after their friends or family around ask them to do so. It is always better to consult a psychiatrist when one feels their thoughts and emotions are not aligned in a way that it usually would.

Here are a few symptoms that a person suffering from depression will deal with on an everyday basis:

·        You not only suffer from mental agony but you also feel intense pain in your body especially the joints, lower back and neck

·        You tend to binge eat or just don’t eat at all resulting in rapid weight gain or loss

·        Your memory refuses to co-operate and you might find it difficult to remember or recollect things

 

·        You feel scared and restless but are not sure of why this is happening

·        A feeling of emptiness is always there within you and you start questioning a lot of things unable to seek the answers and in turn feel helpless

·        You start feeling uncomfortable when it comes to social gatherings; you prefer to stay away from the crowd all the time

·        You start losing interest in the things you once liked including your hobbies

·        Your consumption of alcohol and smoking increases and you tend to lose yourself in it

·        Too much online activity since you are more comfortable with a virtual world

·        You slowly lose interest in grooming yourself and end up not combing your hair or even give up completely on oral hygiene

·        You constantly think about ending your life and feel worthless

These signs may exist in most people but what distinguishes them from depression is the frequency and duration in which these signs occur or exist. If you find these symptoms persisting for a long time in yourself or anyone around, get the support of a qualified psychologist without second thoughts.

 

References:

http://www.prevention.com/ mind-body/surprising- depression-symptoms

http://www.webmd.com/ depression/guide/detecting- depression