lesser known symptoms of depression
“It is very important to adopt the belief that all of your feelings are acceptable and temporary. Perhaps the most commonly overlooked symptom of depression is anger. Although people have become much more aware of depression and mental illness in general in recent years, many misconceptions remain. Just as someone with arthritis aches from inflammation, someone with depression might ache too. “The relationship is so strong, that a lot of times, people with chronic pain are prescribed antidepressants — and it actually helps,” Pakdaman says. You might feel like you can’t concentrate because you don’t find anything interesting. Some of the lesser know symptoms of depression include: Coronavirus has impacted many people's lives. Poor concentration is on the list of symptoms for clinical diagnosis, but … Some people with depression sleep way too much; others experience insomnia. That can make the person feel absentminded. Exercise, although to a person with depression, it often feels counterintuitive due to lack of energy. But it doesn’t get much attention, probably because depression is not an obvious mental illness; people are often ashamed of it and think it is a sign of their weakness. Depression affects about 16 million American adults every year and is the top cause of disability worldwide. “Depression does present itself differently due to many things, including cultural factors,” says Dr. Shirley Pakdaman, adjunct clinical professor at Pepperdine University and a psychotherapist in Beverly Hills, Calif. For example, depression often looks different in men than it does in women. How did we come to this crisis? Loved ones are stranded in a foreign country. Depression researchers emphasize the importance of a healthy diet to accompany whatever treatment a person is getting (sometimes easier said than done). Other may have an underlying addiction that has yet to rear its head. Depression is not just feeling hopeless or apathetic, there are lots more symptoms that we aren’t familiar with. These misconceptions can cause people with depression to be reluctant to seek help or maybe not even be aware they should seek help. You may find yourself reading something over and over, not really taking it in. But talking with your doctor can help determine if you do have unrecognized symptoms of depression. Depression: Men are often diagnosed with depression when they go to the doctor about headaches or chest pains. They can mask depression… From the moment Nita Sweeney, 57, of Columbus, Ohio, wakes up, her struggle is on. And while most are familiar with common symptoms like change in appetite, fatigue, persistent sadness, inability to concentrate and loss of interest in activities, there are also many less-known physical symptoms. One of the pointers indicating depression may be aches and pains which cannot be explained by any other physical condition. Depression Sign #3: Forgetfulness and Trouble Concentrating Problems with memory and focus often go hand in frustrated hand. Although it relieves symptoms in the short term, those symptoms often come back worse than before. People with depression will often use substances to self-medicate, although they may or may not realize that’s what they’re doing. What Helps? Here are 5 of the many lesser known symptoms of hypothyroidism: 1. Here are some common symptoms of depression that people typically don’t recognize. When this trifecta goes awry, the mind can ruminate or obsess on bad things like fears or unfortunate circumstances — which explains Sweeney’s morning dread. What Helps? Her first thoughts are often dark: Her husband, sister and dog have died. There’s a common image of a depressed person staying in bed all day, unable to get up even to do basic things like shower and eat. So it’s possible just feeling physically bad makes you more defensive and aggressive. The most recognised symptoms of depression were having a continuous low mood and feeling unmotivated, while finding it difficult to make decisions and unexplained pain were amongst … The most recognised symptoms of depression were having a continuous low mood and feeling unmotivated, while finding it difficult to make decisions and unexplained pain were amongst the lesser known. “It’s like something is coming on,” she says. Origins Behavioral Healthcare is a well-known care provider offering a range of treatment programs targeting the recovery from substance use disorders, mental health issues, and beyond. If you’re trying to work and can’t keep your mind on what you’re doing over a period of weeks, it might be a symptom of depression. These "unusual" symptoms are actually quite common. Sometimes depression shows up with lesser-known symptoms that aren’t often discussed, like Sweeney’s sense of foreboding. People experiencing symptoms of depression should seek help immediately by talking to a primary care physician or mental health professional. Most people aren’t aware that physical pain is often a symptom of depression. For example, it’s normal to grieve after the death of a loved one, but if you try to avoid those emotions by working all the time, you may just end up creating more problems. Here are five more symptoms of depression that are often not recognized, along with suggestions for lessening their effects: Symptom: Feeling Numb/Absence of Emotion. The reasons anger is often a symptom of depression are complicated. People with depression will often use substances to self-medicate, although they may or may not realize that’s what they’re doing. Depression may also increase your sensitivity to pain. People tend to think that the telltale sign of depression is sadness—a pervasive down, dragging feeling that won't let up, day after day. Poor sleep leads to more anxiety and you end up feeling even worse. For some people, they range beyond persistent sadness and crying. What Helps? Aids like setting alarm reminders, using time-tracker apps or writing sticky notes are helpful for people who are experiencing forgetfulness during depression. And people who develop substance use disorders often feel helpless in the face of their substance use and find it hard to imagine life will get better in the future. Symptom: Forgetfulness/’Depression Brain’. In fact, studies show the depressed brain does have poorer memory, and people experience short-term memory loss. However, these symptoms often manifest in surprising ways. Research on how over-the-counter pain relievers change the brain’s response have found that the pain medicine acetaminophen (Tylenol) may blunt depression pain. Poor concentration. In fact, it’s worked so well for her that she wrote the book Depression Hates a Moving Target: How Running with My Dog Brought Me Back from the Brink. So, feeling edgy, irritable or ruminating can keep your mind too busy to sleep. In fact, arthritis and depression often occur together. Social isolation is a clear sign of depression, especially if it’s exhibited by … In younger men and teens, reckless behavior may take the form of getting in fights, committing crimes, being disruptive at school, or driving recklessly. And sometimes depression looks different in men than it does in women. Dopamine and serotonin, two neurotransmitter chemicals in the brain that bring a happiness boost and work to stabilize mood, are low when you’re depressed. And where do we go from here? A common pattern is to wake up at three or four in the morning and have trouble falling asleep again. What’s Happening? However, there are several symptoms of hypothyroidism that are relatively less popular and/or easily identifiable, including mental illnesses like depression, as well as constipation. “Ultimately many of the signs of depression have more to do with our energy or the lack thereof,” says Dr. Sherrie Campbell, a psychotherapist in Orange County, Calif., and author of Loving Yourself: The Mastery of Being Your Own Person. In recent years, research has found that inflammation is often associated with depression. And those are the classic symptoms of a depressive disorder. Experts say that someone who suffers from depression may also … “Physical pain often leads to experiencing depression and depression can often lead to experiencing physical pain,” Pakdaman says. The below chart highlights people’s awareness of the different symptoms of depression: There may be headaches, lower back pain, … Since serotonin regulates appetite and runs low when you’re depressed, it’s not uncommon to feel uninterested in food. … This is thought to be caused by a disturbance in the circadian rhythm, which is common in people with depression. A person with depression can be focused inward so much that he or she doesn't pay adequate attention to things or “encode” (lock down and retain) information. What Helps? The typical symptoms clinicians look for when diagnosing depression include depressed mood, inability to feel pleasure, loss of interest in things you used to enjoy, sleep disturbance, trouble concentrating, changes in weight, and thoughts of suicide or death. “It’s a spiral downward.”. Depressed people over 25 are not as likely to get in fights or commit crimes, but they may engage in reckless sex, gambling, driving, or substance use. Lesser Known Signs of Depression: Can You Feel the Music? Sweeney says it’s as if her body conserves every bit of energy it needs when depressed, and feeling emotion is just too much to handle. Anger is especially problematic for people with depression because is it often not recognized as a symptom and it tends to drive people away at a time when social support is crucial. If you have any of the symptoms above or others, like the inability to accomplish a task, keep up with grooming or tackle your to-dos, you may not have previously associated them with depression. But not everyone gets hit with the characteristic symptoms. One reason is that the perfectionism and fear of failure that often drive work addiction are also characteristics that lead to depression. What Helps? Ads for pharmaceutical companies depict depression as sadness, lack of enjoyment at activities you once took pleasure in, tears or suicidal thoughts. 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