Depression: Recognizing The Physical Symptoms
In recent years, more and more young people have been affected by one of the most inconspicuous mental illnesses - depression. And even if someone identifies it as a temporary condition that will go away relatively easily, others are very afraid of the symptoms which are often not only psychological but also physical. Our mental ailments almost always affect our whole body and it reacts differently depending on the individuality of each one of us.
Emotional symptoms of depression:
- Trouble concentrating, remembering details and making decisions
- Fatigue
- Feelings of guilt, worthlessness and helplessness
- Pessimism and hopelessness
- Irritability
- Restlessness
- Loss of interest in things once pleasurable, including sex
- Persistent sad, anxious or "empty" feelings
- Suicidal thoughts or attempts
What are the physical manifestations of depression?
Headache and migraine
It has been shown that there is a strong link between headache and depressive states. So if you often feel like having to cope with this problem do not ignore it, especially if you are not mentally well. Seek expert advice!
Insomnia or the opposite - constant drowsiness
Changes in sleep are always an indication that something is happening in our head or body. Even sometimes due to ordinary fatigue, stress, or simply a change of season, they are more often a sign of a more serious problem, like depression.
Lacking or increased appetite
If you do not feel hungry lately, or if you eat as an offspring, and at shorter intervals, you must also pay attention to your mental health.
Stomach pains, diarrhea, constipation or permanent nausea after eating
If you had a healthy and regular stomach and suddenly you start to suffer from constipation or diarrhea or just feel acute craving pain at times, do not reject the fact that the cause may be in your head. Nausea after eating and sometimes your inability to keep it in your stomach is also a serious problem triggering depressive symptoms. Therefore, if the doctor does not find any disturbances in your stomach organs and functions, contact a psychologist.
Breast pain
Cardiovascular diseases often go hand in hand with depression. It is found that signs of anxiety are seen in half of the people who complain of pain and tightness in the chest.
Joint pains and back pain
If you are a young person and the pains in your joints or backs have become a normal phenomenon for you for a while, think well what causes them. Depression can also be accompanied by joint pain.
Menstrual cycle disorders
I guess you noticed how when you are experiencing stress, your cycle also reacts. If it has become extremely irregular, and you do not have a specific gynecological problem, you must look for the cause in your mental state.
Sexual interference
The categorical denial of sex is definitely not inherent in any mentally and physically healthy person. Depression would certainly affect your sexual desire, so do not overlook it when it's missing.
Still, a large number of people are not looking for help when a psychological problem arises from shame or fear that they may be prescribed medications they do not want to take. It is good to know that our fear of antidepressants may be unfounded, as a growing number of specialists now rely on more harmless treatments such as pure herbal remedies or just a regular visit to a psychologist. And remember that sometimes as much as you try to help yourself with positive thoughts and emotions, the possibility of self-healing is zero.
There are very serious forms of this mental disorder, which can only be countered with the help of a specialist. And there is nothing shameful about seeking such kind of assistance. Nowadays it is needed by more and more people.
Thank you for reading.
Please take care of yourself!
If your "depression" is just a state of mind and you have none of the symptoms above, just think of the sea - it makes me smile and realize how small my problems are. (The picture is mine.)
Sources:
Images:
Pixabay
Thanks for the post. More needs to be done to handle mental ill-health. It's not easy out there
It is not easy. But if you have the courage to turn to someone for help they won't turn their back on you. At least I won't, but I am looking at it from my point of view, as a person who went through mild depression a couple of years ago.
I don't know from what background you wrote this. But please have a look at this post I just made.
https://steemit.com/depression/@bifilarcoil/depression-a-different-angle-on-it
The symptoms are comparable I guess, but stress, burnout and several other brain related problems have practically the same symptoms.
However I try to look at depression from another angle in my article.
Hacking depression without chemicals.
I will check it.
The background is my closest friend - she has the symptoms but doesn't want to seek help.
Maybe she is seeking help but not able to find help that fits the issue.
There is lots of help out there. But most of the help is there for the helpers.
The helpers want to feel important, and want to be so damn irritating helpful that they mentally rape the person to be the helper. Mainly 'professional help' I see acting like that. After all they are the ones who need to make profit for a company. It's their way to put food on the table. So they are there to fuckin' help. If you know what I mean.
If they are not able to provide the actual help that is needed then they should get lost. And make room for whatever else is out there. This may sound harsh. But helper who force to be helping destroy insane amounts of time money and brainpower.
And this is not an easy thing as the helper may feel helpless and feel sorry for THEMSELVES.
So that the point where to tell the helpers to help with the REAL problem or get lost.
And that's where it becomes complicated. I can't even describe what I have seen, how people get pushed into a corner with all kinds of medicine. And are no longer able to be themselves. Let alone, be able to make simple choices.
Also when people think that the medication is actually helping them and don't realise that they are living from pill to pill. No longer able to live a single minute without chemical help.
And for others this may actually be a real solution
So I have to be very careful here. I also know there are people who have great help from medicine, and that's great. But there should always be room to try to use less medicine, and in todays society that room seems not to exist. And the pharma manages to take away the little space that was left. They start with that DSM-IV book. They infiltrate the part where psychology is made, and create new pills for every negative feeling that a person may feel.
No matter how healthy you are, DSM-IV will be able to turn every feeling into some type of depression. And when they offer bonuses, and invite psychologists to visit symposiums and congresses and offer free hotel rooms in fancy hotels. Then the person who needs the help no longer gets any help. They just get a pill. Take this, go away, be happy. Come back when you are running out of stash...
Just like drugs dealers.
Hmm I should have made an article instead of this reply. :-)
This is awesome.
The way you put it! I can’t even put into words everything that I am thinking.
They tried to do this with me, too. The doctor didn’t even listen to everything I had to say. He just gave me pills and that was it. It was me who decided not to take them and search for other ways to feel better.
Now I do feel better. The issue with my friend is that she doesn’t want to go see a doctor and she doesn’t want any kind of other help, too. My concern is this - what if there is a point of no return? What if she hits the bottom and doesn’t find the way? What are we going to do then?
I forget to say how much I admire your free will to say no to chemical 'happiness' :-)
Nobody should order anyone to eat poison. And the mind always knows when the body doesn't feel right about something. Good that you could hear that.
Some doctors, are so brainwashed by the industry that they don't even realise that they are not listening.
Still, keep in mind that some people really need medical help. And they should always have access to that chemical help. Even though we may see it as a poison.
And hitting the bottom... that's very deep. things can always get worse. It's only the facts that keep one standing. Bullshit is what hurts the most I guess.
Find the facts, be honest. When something sucks it sucks, don't disguise a vacuumcleaner with colurfull positive bullshit. The damn thing just sucks even when it's hidden behind bullshit. :-)
Make her see that too if her sense of humor is up for it :-).
I hope al this is not too much ideas all at once. I have the feeling that your mind is on the same page. Though keep things small simple and light.
All of this at once is is probably way too much on an already overloaded brain.
Very good question, sounds like she went trough a lot.
As I don't know her, at this point I would say don't push her, and first of all be a friend. Don't do big things, just find easy accessable little joys.
Music, and try to figure out if there is a deeper meaning in the music she likes.
Food, always good for the mood to have good taste, but good and healty taste is always a bit of a challenge. More work, and often also above the butget.
A movie could be ok, but i would say too much distraction and it's not very social. But a cool movie can eventually set the mind on something different
Nature, have a walk. Hug a horse. Play with a kitten. always fun to see them hunt a hand under a blanket.
Just don't force a deep conversation, just be the friend you are. But if a converstion happens then try to find that real reason and options to get to a solution. Still try not to get to deep all at once. Keep it light friendly and in balance with nice things.
Still keep in mind that i do not know her at all so I could be very wrong.
And this means that your brainpower is far more important then anything that I write.
Going deep can be important, but a simple smile on a sad soul is worth a fortune. :-)
And balance... keep it all in balance, too much fun may have the downside of deep sadness on the rollercoaster of the brain.
Specially when someone is alone. So make sure that she is not alone when a rollercoaster ride is in session.
Again, I don't know her I hope your creativity has a far reach 'out of the box'.
My apologies for the length of this reply... My brain is just releasing all at once.
music to go with your picture:
Awesome!
:-D