Three Symptoms of Depression You May Be Overlooking
17.3 million*
Americans suffer from depression
264 million**
People suffer from depression worldwide
That’s a lot of people in emotional pain. Based on these statistics, there’s a pretty good chance that you know someone who has depression or has suffered from depression in the past. Would you know it if you saw it? Could you recognize depression in the people around you?
What is Depression?
When we talk about Major Depressive Disorder, commonly known as depression, symptoms like sadness, low energy, a gloomy mood, and a generally negative outlook often come to mind. These experiences are pretty typical among those who suffer from depression and relatively well known among the general public. But these attributes are just a few of the multitude of symptoms depression can cause in its sufferers.
Here Are Three Common Symptoms of Depression You May Be Overlooking, But Shouldn’t…
Insomnia
Excessive sleeping is generally associated with depression, and it is a common factor. But did you know that insomnia can also be a product of depression? One possible cause of the inability to fall asleep or stay asleep is the chemical imbalance in the brain that results from depression and can impact sleep rhythms. Another potential cause is excessive worry and rumination (thinking about the same things over and over again). Racing thoughts are often associated with anxiety. While the mind tends to operate at a slower pace with depression, sufferers often are still plagued with an abundance of negative thoughts and painful memories that they struggle to control.
Anger or Irritability
It’s not surprising that anger and irritability are part of the picture when feeling overburdened with the symptoms of depression. Anger is often a secondary or reactive emotion. It is one that we feel in response to other emotional experiences, such as sadness, hurt, defeat, hopelessness, etc. These emotions, which are often characteristic of depression, are tender, raw, and painful to go through. So, we often react with anger or frustration. Likewise, the separation between of knowing what you want or need in the midst of depression and having no desire, motivation, or energy to do it often leads to a sense of feeling trapped and extreme frustration. Which subsequently causes the urge to lash out. Irritability is also a result of lack of sleep and extreme fatigue.
Difficulty Concentrating and/or Making Decisions (brain fog)
People with depression often talk about a general feeling of slowing down. Everything moves slower – mind, body, and spirit. Physically, the body often moves slower because the body feels weighted down. It kind of feels like you’re walking through knee-deep mud. Likewise, depressive thoughts and emotions can feel extremely heavy, expansive, and thick, like your head is filled with cotton. This crowded psyche, or brain fog, means thinking, concentrating, and making decisions can feel significantly more challenging.
Other Symptoms of Depression
Hopelessness
Helplessness
Feeling Worthless
Decreased Energy / Fatigue (physical and emotional)
Lack of Motivation
Changes in Appetite (comfort eating or loss of interest)
Significant weight loss or weight gain
Inability to Experience Pleasure
Isolation
Irritability or Anger
Sadness
Lack of Interest or Enthusiasm (Apathy)
Irregular Sleep (Too much or too little)
Diminished Concentration
Indecisiveness
Excessive and/or Irrational Guilt
Pervasive Thoughts of Death or Dying
But, am I clinically depressed?
While most of us experience some of these symptoms some of the time, it’s not necessarily Major Depressive Disorder. A person with clinical depression will experience five or more of these symptoms all at once over a period of at least two weeks. The experience also will cause significant distress or impairment to important daily functioning, such as socializing, working, going to school, or even regular hygiene.
Depression is a leading cause of disability in the US for people between the ages of 15 and 44, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. That’s because the symptoms of depression are often so debilitating that many people feel they cannot complete the basic tasks of living, let alone go to work for several hours at a time on a consistent basis.
You may notice that many of these symptoms involve lack, absence, or diminished capacity. Depression is a disease of taking away, of loss. It robs its victims of their abilities and their hope. Then, depression replaces positive thoughts with despair. If you or someone you know is suffering from depression, seek depression therapy right away. Depression plays hardball and rarely improves on its own, but it is treatable and manageable.
Depression Treatment Options
Psychotherapy (CBT, EFT, Interpersonal, EMDR)
Medication (balances brain chemistry)
Physical Wellness (exercise and nutrition benefit energy and sleep cycles; the total package counterbalances fatigue and sluggishness)
Acts of Service (shifts focus outside the self)
Social Support (Combats loneliness)
Spirituality (sense of meaning and purpose)
Gratitude (focus on what is good in your life)
If you want help for your depression, but don’t know where to start, give us a call. We offer depression treatment in Houston, TX and online therapy to anyone living in the state of Texas. If we’re not the right fit for you, we can provide you with additional resources. You can also schedule an appointment with your regular doctor, who will likely be able to provide you with some resources, including psychiatric referrals and additional information on depression, as wells as a starter medication, if you are interested. The National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) is another great resource for assistance. Give them a call at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264).
Begin Depression Treatment in Houston, TX
If you’re ready to find freedom from depression and live in Houston or in the state of Texas, we would love to speak with you. Let’s discuss the many ways the therapists at our counseling practice can help you manage depression symptoms so you can get back to living the life you love. To begin counseling in Houston, TX or online therapy in Texas, follow these steps:
Contact our counseling clinic to set up a free phone consultation,
Meet with one of our depression therapists,
Begin depression treatment and feel better about yourself and your life.
About the Author Michele Dial, M.Ed., LPC
Michele offers a variety of mental health services for adults at our Houston Heights Therapy Clinic. Her mental health services include: adult therapy, depression treatment, anxiety treatment, therapy for stress and burnout, trauma treatment and EMDR, and counseling for life transitions. She also offers online therapy in Texas to meet your mental health needs when you can’t make it to our therapy clinic. To learn more, please contact our counseling office or read her bio.