Six early warning signs of depression

We all go through low moments which is a normal part of life. But when you find yourself with feelings of hopelessness and despair taking hold and just won't go away, you may have depression.

You will find that going through the day can get overwhelming and doing things you once loved becomes difficult.

While depression is not something that can be shoved under the rugs, it requires some soul searching and treatment to enable a person live with it.

To better help you understand the gravitas of the disorder better and possibly save the life of a loved one, it is crucial to identify early signs of the condition.

One of the most reliable symptoms of depression is gradually experiencing a loss of interest in social contact and pleasurable activities may imply the onset of this disorder. When you have depression, your brain just cannot handle too many activities at once, so you start dropping one here and one there until all you have left is what’s necessary.

According to Power of Positivity, due to the constant feelings of despair and hopelessness combined with sleep problems, poor appetite, and stress, there isn’t much energy left for anything. Even friendships and romantic relationships can suffer because the person may start to withdraw and spend more time alone.

Depression tends to create an environment of despair in your mind that stops you from being strong-willed and productive. When one is depressed, they are more likely to give in to bad habits or reckless behavior such as excessive smoking, consumption of drugs and alcohol, unhealthy eating habits etc. This is because the feeling of hopelessness puts a dent in one’s willpower adversely impacting their performance.

Survivors tend to feel as if everything is working against them and because of this, they isolate themselves from the world. Something as trivial as a car splashing water on them or a lecturer correcting them can send them the wrong impression that tends to make them feel small and insignificant.

Spending time with others or outside is the last thing on their mind. They would rather be left in a dark room by themselves with their thoughts. Unfortunately, they don’t realize that this creates a perfect catalyst to their depression.

According to WebMD, 80% of adults with depression have trouble falling or staying asleep. Patients who have chronic insomnia have a tripled chance of developing depression compared to those without insomnia. This is because being awake at night and alone to your thoughts may cause you to develop negative thoughts that may heighten the feeling of guilt, hopelessness, self-blame or irritability causing the symptoms of depression to worsen.