Depression: meaning and symptoms.
What is depression? What are the indicators of depression? What are the symptoms of depression?
Depression is a sad feeling that weighs you down and prevents you from enjoying life. It is a state of mind that makes you not to visualize a happy future. It comes with negative energy.
Normally at some point you can feel sad and your morale may be so low this is ok but when the feeling persist for more than two weeks it could be depression. You can know that you are depressed if that sad feeling persist way too long.
Depression is not short lived but a problem which is ongoing. It has phases and each phase has its own symptoms. Depending on circumstances it can last for years, months or weeks.
General signs and symptoms of depression includes:
✓Mood swings
✓Lack of interest in things you like
✓Reduced sexual sensations
✓Poor or excessive appetite
✓Gain or loss in weight within a short period of time
✓Lack of sleep or too much of it
✓Easily angered or agitated
✓Inability to rest
✓Feeling tired all through even without working
✓Inability to think clearly and make judgement
✓Lack of concentration
✓Feeling unworthy
✓Having negative thoughts
✓Inflicting pain to self and enjoying it
However, these signs present themselves differently from one person to another depending on their sex and age. It is revealed that depression is twice as common in females than in males.
The following are some of the indicators of depression in females/ women
Over anxious
∆ Easily irritated
∆ Swinging moods within short period of time
∆ Dwelling mostly on negative thoughts/ thinking or perceiving everything negatively
∆ Habiting suicidal thoughts
∆ General tiredness
Males on the other hand show different signs and symptoms of depression. Some of these signs includes:
√ Excessive drinking of alcohol
√ Engaging in risky activities
√ Displaying alot of anger
√ Avoiding social and family gatherings
√ Overworking without taking a break
√ At times they may avoid working
√ Not being able to carry out family responsibilities
√ Being abusive or over controlling in a relationship.
School going/college students and teenagers are not speared by the disorder. When depressed they exhibit the following signs and symptoms:
> Increased or reduced appetite
> Oversleeping
> Insomnia
> Lack of concentration on school work/ their studies
> They like being in solitude
> Lack of interest on what they use to enjoy
> Displaying restlessness
> Feeling worthless, guilty all the time and helplessness.
Toddlers and young children are not spared either. Some of the signs of depression on toddlers/ young children are:
✓Crying alot and every other time
✓Being rebellious or defiant
✓Being clingy
✓Having low or reduced energy
✓Experiencing regular outbursts vocally
