Depression Leads to Suicide during Pandemic

Text Credit to  :  Chloe Avenasa

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Do you consider yourself knowledgeable enough to spot the signs of depression in someone?

If you're someone who often reads the articles, watch videos and frequent other psychology related self-help websites or journals,  then you might say yes. And while we're certainly grateful for the recent mental health awareness movement that's been happening all over the world, we might still be a lot left for us to learn about the true nature of depression.

The original source reminded us that this text is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for professional advice.

Here are seven surprising habits you might develop when you have depression.

1.  Having irregular sleeping and eating habits

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The most prominent symptom of a depressive episode is a significant disturbance and someone's sleeping and eating patterns.  And yes, while the most common manifestations for this would be insomnia, weight loss, and lack of appetite.  Some people struggling with depression may do the opposite and end up oversleeping or overeating.  This is called atypical depression and those who have this specific type of depression are at greater risk of being undiagnosed, dismissed and mislabeled as simply being lazy.

2.  Mood Swings/ Outburst

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Have you noticed yourself having more difficulty controlling your emotions lately?  Do you often get upset, angry, irritated, or hurt about the things you never used to before?  Even though we might picture someone who's depressed as being emotionally numb, empty and apathetic.  Depression can also make us moodier and more emotionally volatile.  Having frequent uncharacteristic outburst,  like suddenly crying for no reason or snapping at someone out of the blue can actually be taken as a sign that someone mental health is falling apart.  

3.  Making muted cries for help

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Do you struggle with asking for help?  As much we might want to not need anyone else,  there's no shame in asking for help when we need it.  The problem is people with depression often find this painfully difficult to do for fear that they might be seen as a burden by their loved ones, or that their struggles might be invalidated and misunderstood, so they resort to making muted cries for help instead.  Some examples include, denying that anything's wrong even when they're already crying or breaking down, making self-deprecating or having a dark sense of humor or coming up with cover stories that are lies.

4.  Overspending / Impulse Buying

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Has your shopping or spending been out of control lately?  Do you often find yourself buying lots of things on impulse when you used to be frugal and financially savvy?  For some people suffering from depression this kind of behavior is not uncommon.  Buying things make you feel better and treating yourself to luxury goods to serve as a distraction or a self-esteem booster is most likely a maladaptive coping mechanism.

5.  Constantly searching for meaning

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Searching for meaning is something that's inherent to human nature.  All of us are looking for our reason for being wondering what our purpose is but unlike people struggling with depression it's not usually at the forefront of our minds.  Depressions, however has a way of making us feel like we're constantly wasting our time and potential when we're not chasing greatness or success.  Have you heard that famous quote written by Louisa May Alcott.;" I wanna be great or nothing"?    Well, this is exactly the reason why people who are depressed are more vulnerable to feelings of nihilism and inadequacy.  But in reality, even if you don't accomplish amazing goals or gain fame and riches your life would be still worth living because existence in and of itself is already so beautiful and meaningful.

6.  Pondering about Life and Death

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Are you or someone around you frequently very philosophical?  Something you might notice if you ever find yourself around people struggling with depression is that they can be very insightful, perspective and wise beyond their years.  This is because they spend a lot of their time thinking and pondering about matters like life and death.  Indeed, depression can make even the most easygoing and extroverted of us more introspective, deep, philosophical and intense.

7.  Being more Creative

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Last but certainly not least something that what surprised you about depression is just how much it can fuel creativity and self-expression.  Sylvia Plath, Ernest Hemingway, Frida Kahlo, Kurt Cobain and Vincent van Gogh.  What do they all have in common?  Well, it's possible that they inspired the tortured artist trope.  

The idea that artistic genius and mental illness of then go hand in hand.  We certainly aren't romanticizing depression of mental illness but it is worth noting that having a creative outlet to better express ourselves can make a world of difference in helping us deal with such painful and powerful thoughts and feelings.

Quote by the writer : So did you learn something new about the habits of depressions?  Remember, if you or anyone you know is struggling with feelings of depression of anxiety, please don't hesitate to reach out to a mental health care professional and get the help you need.