Content
The main symptoms that mark the beginning of depression are unwillingness to perform activities that gave pleasure, reduced energy and constant tiredness. These symptoms appear in low intensity, but worsen over time, causing suffering and inability to work or maintain interactions with other people, for example.
However, depression can be cured and can be achieved with the correct diagnosis and treatment, which can be done with the use of antidepressants, anxiolytics and psychotherapy sessions. Check how depression is diagnosed and treated.
The most common symptoms that can indicate depression include:
1. Feeling of emptiness or sadness
The presence of emptiness or sadness usually manifests itself through a sad face, drooping eyes staring at nothing, dull and a curved trunk. It is still common for the person to have bouts of crying or to cry very easily, having speeches focused on pessimism, guilt and low self-esteem.
It is still common to experience a feeling of worthlessness, and therefore people who are developing depression have a desire to isolate themselves from friends and family, before thinking about more severe "solutions" such as suicide.
People who have depression report feeling a sadness different from "normal", which does not improve with the adoption of attitudes that alleviate it and which is usually accompanied by a feeling of emptiness, apathy, disinterest and lack of desire to perform activities.
2. Lack of desire to perform activities that gave pleasure
This is the main symptom of depression and has been present since the beginning of the disease, and it can get worse as the disorder progresses. This is because the depressive disorder can cause the person to have sudden and transient changes in mood, and may be more susceptible to crying, for example.
In addition, in this situation, the desire to perform activities that used to be a reason for joy, such as playing instruments, watching movies and series, being with friends or going to parties, for example, disappears without the person being able to explain the reason, feeling only willing of doing nothing.
3. Lack of energy and constant tiredness
Lack of energy and constant tiredness, which prevent daily activities such as personal hygiene, eating, going to school or work, can indicate depression. In addition, the lack of motivation for not wanting to do any activity is a sign that depression is evolving.
4. Irritability
Due to deep sadness, it is common to show irritability, anger attacks, causing symptoms such as tremors, uncontrollable urge to scream and even excessive sweating. In addition, some symptoms of anxiety and distress may be associated.
5. Pain and changes in the body
Depression can also cause constant headache, due to poor nights and changes in mood, as well as feeling of tightness in the chest and heaviness in the legs. In some cases, hair loss, weak nails, swollen legs and back and stomach pain can occur due to low hormones. In addition to vomiting and tremors, known as psychosomatic symptoms.
6. Sleep problems
It is common that in cases of depression the person has terminal insomnia, in this type there is no problem to fall asleep, however the person wakes up at dawn, around 3 or 4 in the morning and cannot go back to sleep at least until 10 in the morning again, and after that, wake up very tired.
7. Loss of appetite
The lack of appetite and weight change during depression is the result of all the other symptoms together, as the person has no energy to get up, feels pain, is irritated and sleepy, for example. This is also another factor to aggravate weight loss, as the person usually has only one meal a day, and usually at the insistence of family members.
Weight changes occur due to the low production of serotonin in the body, which is also responsible for the absorption of nutrients, and its reduction ends up causing excessive weight loss in a short period of time, as the body does not absorb what is eaten.
8. Lack of concentration
During depression, there may be a lack of concentration, accompanied by memory loss, persistent negative thoughts and indecision with moments of enormous devolution that affects work, school and personal interactions. This symptom can be easily noticed, as people tend not to answer questions and look at nothing for long periods of time, which also leads to a loss of sense of temporality.
9. Thought of death and suicide
The set of all the symptoms of depression can cause the person to have thoughts of death and suicide, because the feelings experienced in this disease give the feeling that it is not worth being alive, considering this a solution to escape the situation in which is found.
10. Alcohol and drug abuse
Abuse in the use of alcohol and drugs occurs due to the presence of feelings such as sadness and deep anguish. The person in this case may need to feel joy and disconnect from the feelings caused by depression, which can be dangerous, as the abuse of these substances can lead to chemical dependency and overdose.
However, not all people with depression develop this symptom, so it is important to be aware of any sudden changes in mood that could indicate an addictive attitude.
11. Slowness
Depressive disorder can sometimes interfere with mental and motor activity, which can cause a person to become more agitated or slower, the latter being more common.Thus, depression can affect thinking, movement and speech, in which the person has pauses when speaking and short responses, or the opposite, in which he / she presents a faster speech and repetitive movements with the hands and legs, for example. example.
Online depression test
This online test can help clarify whether there is a real risk of depression, if you suspect:
- 1. I feel like I like to do the same things as before No Yes
- 2. I laugh spontaneously and have fun with funny things No Yes
- 3. There are times during the day when I feel happy No Yes
- 4. I feel like I have a quick thought No Yes
- 5. I like to take care of my appearance No Yes
- 6. I feel excited about good things to come No Yes
- 7. I feel pleasure when I watch a program on television or read a book No Yes