Depression is a metal disorder,it is the leading cause of disability in the world .
It is very difficult to notice or diagnose it during the early stages.
According to the World health Organisation, 300million people of all ages battle with Depression.
Depression can have a lot of different symptoms, a low mood, loss of interest in things you’d normally enjoy, changes in appetite, feeling worthless or excessively guilty, sleeping either too much or too little. Poor concentration, restlessness or slowness, loss of energy or recurrent thoughts of suicide. If you have at least five of those symptoms, according to psychiatric guidelines, you qualify for a diagnosis of depression
Symptoms of depression
- Feeling of hopelessness (Low mood)
- Empty&sad feeling
This is the early stage of depression, here you have an emptiness feeling.The sad feeling is constant, even amongst family and friends.
- Restless feeling
Here, the restless feeling. You feel heavy and unease.
- Concentration problems
People with depression tend to have low or zero focus on an issue. They’re easily distracted and confused. This play a great role in Disability of firm decision making.• Self Isolation
People with depression isolate themselves for several reasons-Some gets overwhelmed socialising, while others think it’s better to stay and be alone due to self hatred or hatred on the human race at large.People with severe depression can stay up in their room for days• DisorganisedDepression comes with an exhausting feeling so cleaning up your room and doing dishes seems like a big deal for you.• Poor hygieneDepression turns you away from certain hygienic behaviour you do before.Things like showering, brushing your teeth and hair and care for your body is been abandoned.Others will see this behaviour as a lazy behaviour but, being hygienic gets real difficult with time drowning in depression.• Struggling with sleep
Depression affects your sleeping schedule, some people stay up but sleep very little, while some will sleep excessively but yet will feel unrested.• Catastrophic thinkingAt this point, depression plays tricks on your mind,making you believe negative things. This might result to you always looking out for bad happenings around you that would aid you reassure your pessimism.At this moment, Whenever something bad happens to you, you use it as a point to prove how bad and wrong life is.• Terrible eating habitsThose with depression will eat much or hardly eat at all.Some will eat whatever they come across, trying to eat away the emptiness feeling and sadness. While others tend to feel disgusted by even the sight of food.• Lack of MotivationDepression steals your interest and desires .At this point, You no longer find interest in your hobbies. Slowly you find yourself feeling dead inside.if you’re not careful you’ll end up in bed all day, all week.• Guilty feelingsIf depression takes over your thoughts, you’ll begin to talk down on yourself and this can lead to low self esteem issues as well as poor self image.and this isn’t good.eventually, you’ll begin to feel you’re not worth it anymore.some people in depression will always think surrounding problems are all their fault.Some would even sabotage a good situation with the thought that everything ends badly for them.• Mood SwingsThis is a great measure to know someone who is depressed.At this point, you’re in between emotions. You get happy or angry too easy and too fast• Suicidal Thoughts
The hopelessness, emptiness and sad feeling depression comes with might eventually lead to suicidal thoughts.Here, you either feel hopeless or you feel the world will be a better place without you in it.This is the point where you decide to make a quick exit.Anybody that exhibits more than half of these symptoms should please seek help
Open conversations about mental health helps stop stigma amongst mentally ill folks and make it easier for them to ask for help.