What Are The Symptoms Of Depression? Here’s How To Recognize It.

Last updated by Katie M.

Anger, sadness, melancholy… We all experience negative emotions, but when we’re depressed, we feel them more intensely. Suffering then gradually invades the person suffering from depression. Then it becomes so complicated to manage that it prevents the depressed person from living normally and fulfilling their social, family, and even professional obligations. How can we detect depression? What are the symptoms to alert us? Let’s explain.

What Are The Symptoms Of Depression? Here’s How To Recognize It.

How to detect depression? 7 warning symptoms

When depression sets in, there are warning symptoms that usually start 3 to 6 weeks before chronic depression. This is why it’s important to listen to yourself to prevent it from taking hold in the long term. It also helps you to distinguish a low mood from real depression.

  • Mood changes and character disorders (impulsiveness, irritability, etc.)
  • Loss of interest in activities that used to give you pleasure
  • Insomnia and sleep disorders
  • Deep anxiety during everyday situations
  • Significant fatigue, loss of energy
  • Decreased libido
  • Somatisation (physical pain linked to unexpressed moral suffering)

A multifactorial psychological illness

Depression can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, social status, education, nationality, or ethnic origin. However, it doesn’t always have a single cause. The symptoms can be numerous, depression can be hereditary, for example. If a person in our family has already suffered from depression, we’re more likely to experience depressive symptoms. In addition, other illnesses can lead to depression, such as:

  • generalized anxiety disorder,
  • cardiovascular disease,
  • cancer,
  • Parkinson’s disease,
  • arthritis,
  • lung disease,
  • or any other chronic illness that may impact mental health.

Social factors also have an impact on the illness, if the person feels stress because of work or experiences an emotional shock due to the loss of a loved one, loss of a job, etc. Consumption of alcohol, drugs, or any addictive substances can also lead to depression.

How to treat depression?

Seek help quickly

You mustn’t wait until you’re no longer able to carry out your regular activities to seek medical help. If you experience any of the slightest symptoms mentioned above, you can talk to your GP about your depression. He or she will be able to refer you to organizations such as a Medical Psychological Center.

Alternatively, you can also call a psychiatrist directly, who will decide if you need medication. Consulting a psychologist for free is becoming increasingly possible thanks to the reimbursements made by certain insurance companies.

Change your habits

The first priority is to seek psychological support, but it’s also possible to do a few things to reduce the symptoms. Relaxing with meditation or yoga helps reduce depression. Taking up sport, keeping a bullet journal, practicing positive thinking, even having friends… also helps you to feel better and speed up the healing process.

Editor’s note – It’s normal to look after your mental health

You should sit back and do nothing when you experience depressive symptoms. Your mental health should be looked after as much as your physical health. It would never occur to us to “get some fresh air” for a broken leg. The same goes for depression! Don’t hesitate to seek help from one of our psychologists to talk about your suffering.

🤗 Understand yourself, accept yourself, be happy... Let’s do it here and now!

#BornToBeMe

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