Key Warning Signs You’re Suffering From Depression

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It’s normal to feel sad or down at points in your life. We all have a broad range of emotions and any of them can rear their head at any given moment. It depends on what you’re going through, but sadness eventually passes. 

Still, many of you may feel sad and say “I’m depressed” – but do you actually suffer from depression? Depression is a mental health disorder that goes beyond the feeling of sadness. It can feel like your whole world is imploding; that you’re falling into a pit of despair and hopelessness. 

It’s estimated that 280 million people in the world have depression. It’s also one of the leading causes of suicide every year. The problem is beyond serious, which is why you need to get help if you’re feeling depressed. Millions of people don’t get the assistance they need, partially because they’re unaware of depression. 

How can you know if you’re depressed or just feeling a bit down? Keep your eyes peeled for these key warning signs – if you spot them in yourself, seek professional mental health assistance. 

Feeling hopeless all the time

Sadness is normal – as are prolonged periods of sadness, such as when someone close to you passes away. But if you start feeling hopeless all the time, then you know there’s a problem. 

Depression is often caused by changes in your brain chemistry, specifically the lack of serotonin production. This is a chemical that helps regulate your mood. If you’re always hopeless or feel constant despair, it could be down to a lack of serotonin production, leading to depression. That’s why a lot of depression medication will aim to boost serotonin levels in your brain, meaning you can better regulate your moods and get out of this funk. 

Losing interest in everything

Again, because depression is a problem affecting your brain chemistry, it changes the way you think or react to things. Many people with depression are prone to being demotivated. You no longer have an interest in anything – even things you used to love. 

There’s no urge inside of you to do your favourite hobby or to meet up with your friend group. To put this in another way, nothing seems to bring you joy. If you feel like this, it’s an early warning sign of depression and you must take action while this mental health disorder is easier to get ahold of. 

Engaging in reckless activities

You’ve started doing reckless things that you know are bad for you, but continue to do them. Smoking is a common warning sign of depression. You turn to smoke as a release from the stress and anxiety, but it ends up doing more harm than good. You end up in an addictive cycle that makes your depression worse. 

Try to kick these bad habits when you notice them. If you smoke, get something like the Aspire Flexus AIO vape device to help wean you off. If compulsive gambling is your reckless activity, sign up for self-exclusion schemes to block access to all of your accounts. Be more aware of your behaviour and reach out to others for help when you realise you’re only being reckless because you want some relief from your depressive symptoms. 

Thinking very dark thoughts

You may have clocked that these warning signs grow in severity as you go down this list. Hopelessness and extreme sadness are the two first signs of depression in someone. Then, you may start feeling socially reclusive and lack interest in anything. The further along you go, and the deeper you fall into the pit of despair, the more likely you are to engage in reckless activities. 

That’s a very serious warning sign as it shows you’re edging closer to the biggest concern of all: dark thoughts. Depression kills. It’s horrible to think about, but that’s reality. There may come a point where your depression forces you to have very dark thoughts and you wonder why you’re still here. If you’ve thought things like this, contact your local suicide support hotline and find some professional mental health support. 

The single most important thing to remember is that it’s okay to ask for help. Depression is more common than you think – there are multiple types of depression and millions of people suffer from it. You’re not alone, you’re not “weird” for having this problem and you certainly don’t need to go on in silence. Look for the warning signs of this mental health disorder and be prepared to act if you think you’ve got depression.