Who hasn’t heard the comedian Jeff Foxworthy do his “You might be a redneck” routine? He lists signs that give it away such as, “You might be a redneck if you ever cut your grass and found a car.” On a more serious note, there are also signs that you might be suffering from depression. Most people think depression is just being sad, but it’s actually a fairly common mental health condition. Yet, as common as depression is, people often have it without realizing it because they overlook or dismiss the signs.
How can you tell whether you’re just feeling blue or if you have depression? Here are six signs that you have depression.
six signs of depression:
1) You Have Mood Swings
A common misconception is that if you have depression, you’re down all the time, numb or sad 24/7. Not so. Actually, one of the signs of depression is having your emotions on a roller coaster ride from up and happy one moment to down and gloomy the next. This is also a symptom of bipolar disorder, but it is a symptom of depression as well.
six signs of depression:
2) You Have Trouble Sleeping
Some people with depression get a full night’s sleep but are still tired the next day. Others have great difficulty falling asleep and/or staying asleep because of racing thoughts that, when they do fall asleep turn into nightmares which wake them up and the work of falling back asleep takes hours.
six signs of depression:
3) You Have Low Self-Esteem
One of the common signs of depression is low self-esteem. People with depression put themselves down. They apologize for themselves, for even small mistakes. They criticize themselves, put themselves down, and are very reluctant to dare new things or take risks. Depression causes you to have very low self-confidence and self-worth.
six signs of depression:
4) You Have Changes In Diet
It is not uncommon for people suffering from depression to have changes in their appetite. Some people lose their appetite and hardly eat while others snack and eat lots of comfort food as a coping mechanism. Often, people don’t notice how much their diet has changed until their health is affected or the scale tells them that something is wrong.
six signs of depression:
5) You Have A Negative View Of The Future
People with depression are rarely optimistic about the future, but are pessimistic about the direction of their own life and/or about the future of their country or society in general. If you are suffering from depression, hope is a scarce commodity in your life right now.
six signs of depression:
6) You Have A Struggle With Substances
The most troubling and dangerous of the signs of depression is that people with depression often turn to substances such as alcohol or drugs (legal or illegal) as an escape. Substance abuse is always dangerous, but for people with depression it can be devastating. Substances, especially depressants, only make depression worse.
If you recognize these signs of depression in your life or that of a friend or loved one, please don’t try to deal with depression alone. Depression doesn’t go away on its own, and you can’t “just get yourself together.” You need help, and at SoulCare Counseling we are ready to help you. I urge you to read about Depression Treatment and reach out to us today.
Amber Bezney is a Licensed Professional Counselor-Associate under the supervision of Dr. Bernis Riley, LPC-S and Certified EFT Therapist. She holds a Masters of Education in Marriage and Family and Couples Counseling. Amber is currently taking new clients.