Recognizing The Symptoms Of Depression

Depression is not only a feeling of sadness. Everyone feels down from time to time. It is perfectly normal to experience negative emotions, worries, and hardships in life. Depression is a feeling of sadness, hopelessness, and a lack of interest in the activities of life, and symptoms can last for weeks or months. Recognizing and understanding the symptoms of depression is incredibly important. If you feel like you might be suffering from depression, or you know someone who is, then you should seek help.

To understand more about the symptoms, take a look at the case study of Tessa below:

Tessa has not been feeling herself for many weeks now. She thought her bad mood was a result of the recent events in her life, which had left her saddened and a little lost. Usually she would have the strength to pull through, but it seemed like her life had become more despairing.

She started to withdraw from her usual group of friends, and stopped going out to meet them at the cafe at the weekend. Instead she would spend more time withdrawn and isolated in her room. She also started to take more time off work too, sometimes because of illness, and sometimes because of a strong feeling of lethargy. The difficulty Tessa was having sleeping did not help matters, and she began to loose her appetite too. Her usual routine gradually became something of the past, and she struggled with eating patterns, sleeping patterns, and work patterns.

Tessa's friends began to notice that not everything was quite right about her behavior. It seemed harder to get into contact with her, and when they did see her they found that her usual high spirits had been hindered by her agitation and restlessness. She seemed self absorbed and less concerned for them, and was even short and snappy at times, impatient with people who were offering her help. Her parents had noticed not only the changes in her behavior, but also the changes in her perspectives and moods; it was becoming clear that this was more than just a little dark patch.

In her mind Tessa knew she had not been feeling herself, but she had also begun to forget exactly what her self felt like. She felt lost and hopeless, and struggled to express her depression to those around her, even though she knew that they loved her, and would support her. She blamed herself for her state of mind, and often felt guilty about her actions, and sometimes even about life. Negative thoughts ruled over her. Dissociated and lacking in self-confidence and self-esteem, it gradually dawned on Tessa that she was suffering from a real psychological disorder; depression.

She decided to seek professional help in the form of counseling. It was the best decision she ever made. Talking to a counsellor helped her to gain an alternative perspective, and ultimately, a greater understanding of what she was going through. Talking to someone who was outside of her situation, someone neutral so to speak, but someone who knew how she was feeling, and what to do about it, was the start to her recovery.

If you think you or someone you know might be suffering from depression then you should seek expert help from a trained counsellor. If you have experienced some of the physical, psychological, and behavioral symptoms of depression described here then you should not suffer in silence. Many people remain untreated because they do not recognize their symptoms, or because they do not seek help. Discussing your feelings with a counsellor will help you to begin a new process; one of positive change.

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