Top 15 Ways To Know If Someone Is Depressed

Mental health is a subject that has been surrounded by lots of prejudice and has been ignored for a long time. But now, as people are becoming more aware, and those who’ve suffered from any kind of mental problem are opening up, the myths and misconceptions around mental health are clearing up.

Let’s have a look at the top 15 ways to know if someone is depressed:

1. Loss of interest

They have no interest in what is happening around them. They are not interested in things they used to enjoy a lot earlier and seem uninterested in almost everything. People may seem to think that they’ve grown out of their own interests.

2. Disturbed sleeping pattern

They struggle to fall asleep at night. Their sleep schedule has become distorted, and they are always sleep-deprived due to insomnia. Sleep deprivation is a major trigger for anxiety and depression, thus worsening the situation.

3. Disturbed eating pattern

Their eating pattern has also changed. Sometimes they eat excessively, and other times they don’t eat at all. Their weight fluctuates frequently, and they suffer from digestive problems. Noting someone’s weight fluctuations can give insight into their mental health.

4. Irritability

They have become less patient and get irritated at the tiniest of things. Any minute thing now bugs them, and they become angry or scream at the slightest of thing. Patience level decreases at a rapid rate, thus resulting in frequent outbursts.

5. Loss of confidence

They have lost self-confidence and don’t think of themselves as enough for anything. They have started to look down upon themselves and are conscious of interacting and meeting people. Frequently denying engagements that include interacting with people is an indication of something off.

6. Tiredness

They are always tired and have started to rest a lot, compromising their work and other activities. They always seem low on energy and have become lethargic. They don’t seem to gather enough energy needed to get up and actually work out.

7. Physical aches

They have started to feel frequent aches in different parts of their body. Sometimes their head hurts; other times, it’s their back bugging them, or their stomach aches without any clear reason.

8. Loss of concentration

They can’t concentrate on anything or any work for long. They seem lost and can’t carry on a conversation. They stare into space while you’re talking to them. It’s not really in their control anymore to stop themselves from zoning out of conversations.

9. Guilty conscience

They might be affected by guilt and assume that everything that goes wrong around them is caused by them, or they are responsible in one way or another for the happening, pointing out that they shouldn’t be there. It’s very difficult to talk them out of something they’ve set in their mind about them being responsible.

10. Use of alcohol or narcotics

They have started to depend heavily on alcohol to be away from reality. They may also have come under the influence of other narcotics or drugs to press down their struggle and pain.

11. Mood swings

They are experiencing frequent mood swings. Sometimes they are angry over a thing, and other times their reaction to the same thing is different than what you expect. Being in depression doesn’t necessarily mean a person is always sad and teary-eyed. Fluctuations in several aspects of their personality are the biggest indicator.

12. Hiding their symptoms

They try to mask their happy face when in an interactive situation just to seem normal to other people but break down in solitude. They may be in doubt of their actual problem, so they hide it from the world to not come as a misfit. It’s difficult to share and come out about the difficulties they face because they seem to think that it’s not important for others.

13. Sadness and low-spirited behavior

It’s been ages since you’ve seen them in a happy mood. There is absolutely no activity left that lifts their spirit, and it seems like they are eternally sad and hurt. They might laugh and smile, but that doesn’t mean they’ll come wholeheartedly to join any plans.

14. Decrease in sexual activities

Their interest in sexual activities has also stooped low, and they don’t care about it anymore as nothing excites them now. They may hamper their relationship with their significant other due to this. It brings pressure upon them, and difficulty might trigger severe anxiety.

15. Suicidal ideation

They have now started to subtly point out things that would be better if they weren’t here, and they seem to weigh ways through which they can end their life. They may start talking about it as a joke, but that’s exactly when you have to be alert and provide help immediately.

The problem that has widely affected people is depression. If not treated in time, depression leads a person to a cave from where returning is nearly impossible. To save a person, it is important for the close ones to support them and know the symptoms to stop them from spiraling into the cave.