7 Signs That Your Loved One is Going through Depression

Depression is a serious issue – an issue most of us ignore thinking it is just a mood swing or something not important. However, depression can literally eat away a person.

People in depression need serious help.

1. Loss of interest in things that were in the past enjoyable

Sometimes this loss of pleasure may not be complete. Thus, your loved one may gravitate to only those things that are effortlessly enjoyed and have need of the least amount of effort, for instance playing video-games, sitting in front of the TV or surfing the Web.

Source: visianinfo.com

This leads to thoughts or comments like “You have plenty of time and interest for surfing the web, but not when it comes to spending quality time with me.” Engaging with another person and meeting that person’s needs calls for more effort than surfing the Web and as a result may be an early tell tale indication of depression.

2. Sleep problems

This might take the form of difficulty falling asleep, or waking up in the night or the early hours in the morning. You may come across your loved one in another room, trying to pass the time.

Source: www.storiedmind.com

This may disturb your own sleep as well and may feel like neglect, forcing you to say things like, “Not only isn’t he/she on hand for me during the day, but also at night.” Again, it is important not to take the warning sign personally, but identify it for what it is.

3. Anger and petulance

Depressed individuals struggle to get through their day. Ordinary problems and challenges turn into more difficult tribulations and can lead to aggravation and the feelings that follow with that.

Source: tumblr

This is another revealing sign of depression that is simple to take personally.

4. Changes in eating habits

Too little or too much, corresponding with weight changes in the predictable direction.

Source: www.gettyimages.com

A husband (for instance) can become really angry with his wife and tell her off for eating too much and then gaining weight, misinterpreting the indication as a sign that she is ‘letting herself go’ because she does not care about their intimate life.

5. Suicidal ideas

These could take a unperceptive form such as, “I don’t care if I live or die” or a more dynamic form, for example “Sometimes I feel like driving the car off the road.”

Source: smalltowninertia.co.uk

Take such declarations very seriously at all times. There is a widespread fable that if a person is truly suicidal, they do not tell others about it; but in reality they often let phrases slip out which indicate they’re suicidal. By this invalid logic, if the person is actually telling you about it, you may mistakenly assume that they will not actually do it. Taking such statements seriously is very important.

6. Expressing negative thoughts

You might feel excited about something and your loved one comes back with a “bummer” of a response, like “I do not think that will add up to anything,” or “Why does it even matter? It is going to make no difference.” Such unenthusiastic thoughts are an important symptom of depression; nevertheless sometimes they feel just about calculated to throw a dampener on things. The depressed person does not want to make life difficult or unpleasant for other people, they have no control on their thoughts.

Source: skins–uk.tumblr.com

7. Loss of confidence in oneself

Loss of self confidence and hopefulness about the future is a symptom of depression. Depressed individuals feel disappointingly about themselves and also their future. If your loved one is generally more self-assured as well as optimistic and then this changes, suspect depression.