5 Hidden Signs of Depression
It can be in anyone, at any time
There is a common misconception that depression is easy to spot. Film and media depict this mental illness as someone that is constantly sad and upset. Though that’s often not the case, depression goes unnoticed regularly and that’s why so many people suffer silently. Sometimes we smile on the outside when we are damaged, broken, and sad on the inside.
Some hidden signs that one might be suffer are:
Irregular sleep and eating habits
Depression often interferes with patients, sleep schedules, and eating habits. You either eating and sleeping too much, or not enough at all. Depression will slow you down and rob you of all your energy. According to the Sleep Foundation, patients with insomnia are more likely to develop depression. Sleep and depression directly correlates with each other. Depression can cause insomnia, while insomnia can also cause depression. Among all the adolescents who reported being unhappy, 73% also reported that they are not sleeping enough at night.
Same as sleep, eating and depression are also correlated. One suffering from binge eating disorder can later on the line develop depression for poor self-image and depression can cause patients to dip into inconsistent eating habits.
Habitual remedies that help you escape the pain you feel inside
If you ever find yourself suddenly making intense changes to your lifestyle. Therapy and medication helps with depression, but when you are going out of your way to find ways to distract yourself, you might struggle, more than usual. You might find yourself exercising for way longer than usual, using music to block out noises or partaking in hobbies for an unhealthy amount of time. This might be so you can have something else to think about rather than the pain and sadness you feel inside.
Hidden depression happens when you try to quite the demons inside your head. You use everything you can to drown out those noises instead of facing them. Avoiding help by convincing yourself that you’re alright can lead to detrimental effects.
Over-analysis and making things more complicated than it should be
Being overly philosophical, and wanting to seek a purpose in life isn’t always necessarily a bad thing. But having a constant thought of life and death and asking what-if scenarios about these topics can be a little too much. Though many may perceive it as sounding smart and thinking critically. People suffering from depression may feel directionless and lost and often would over complicate ideas. People with hidden depression tend to ruminate about their uncertainties. Though they sound scholarly while discussing these massive issues, sometimes it can be a hint for something more.
Abandonment troubles
According to Healthline, the fear of abandonment is a type of anxiety, it is not considered a mental illness though it is a stimulus for further issues. It interferes with one’s relationship, and the last thing you want when you are depressed is to have no one there to talk to and be there for you.
People with depression often understand fully how much of a burden it can be. It can be hard to let others into your life as you are afraid of the result when they leave. It can be hard for them to have people there for them and have people that will support them. Abandonment issues are hard to control, and you can’t fight depression alone, you need to let people in. No one should have to go through this alone.
Easily frustrated and irritated
Frustration and anger are common emotions. Everyone at some point will be irritated and angry at someone, but it’s when you feel like you’re at the breaking point all the time, it can be something more. Depression isn’t necessarily being sad, some people cannot express their emotions properly and end up exerting the pain inside as anger.
This is similar to how some men hide their feeling of sadness behind angry and frustration. Punching walls when upset and yelling at people rather than allowing themselves to cry. Like depression, people hide away their feelings and therefore leading to further damage.
This isn’t a proper guide to find out if you are suffering from depression. But you feel like you are suffering from multiple of these signs, please get checked medically and let professionals help you out. This article is merely to raise awareness that mental illnesses can be in anyone.
Depression is hard to fight alone; reaching out to trusted family and friends is a critical part. Never try to do this alone, you don’t have to, there will always be someone out there willing to give you a hand.
