For ages, mental health problems have been treated as a taboo, something that is abnormal and should not be spoken of. People have viewed it with eyes of disgust and have made it seem unacceptable for eons. This has created a stigma around mental health issues, making it difficult for the ones suffering to reach out for help. This has led people suffering from depression to give in to the thoughts of death and dying by suicide, which is quite unfortunate. This has changed in recent times, as people are now a little more considerate towards such issues.

Mental health issues like depression are not to be taken lightly. It may seem normal to feel sad, but to be depressed is a completely different thing, and those suffering from it should be taken care of. Addressing mental health issues as and when they’re faced makes them easier to deal with. Depression lives in disguise, you may think its symptoms are normal but its nature might not be as simple. People often mistake it as just being sad, but depression is much more serious and needs professional care. If you are curious to know whether you are depressed or not, take an ‘Am I depressed?’ test which will help you understand yourself a little better and point you in the right direction.

Knowing the symptoms of depression helps one to understand and determine whether or not they might be depressed. Any depression test you take will ask you questions related to the symptoms you may or may not be facing. Such a test helps you get familiarised with what is commonly associated with depression and also let you know if you may be in need of professional help. Am I depressed test will not only help you understand your symptoms better, but it will also help you understand the severity of it and point you in the direction of getting professional help? Increased awareness around depression has helped steer through the stigma around it and create room for conversations about it to further normalize it.

Here are a few symptoms you should look out for if you are curious to know whether you may have depression. This is not a substitute for medical help, it is merely a test that will nudge you in the direction of getting help.

Symptoms of Depression:

• Feeling Tired: One of the first signs of depression is feeling tired most of the time, physically and mentally. Doing the most basic, day-to-day things can make you feel exhausted and it may take a lot of effort to do things.
• Irritability: Generally seen in men, getting irritated or feeling irritated for most of the time, or lashing out at others for small things can be a sign of depression. Being irritable all the time is not regular and it is something to be taken seriously.
• Losing interest: People who face depression tend to lose interest in the things in day to day things and things that they once enjoyed. They may find it difficult to do even basic tasks and lack motivation. It takes a lot of effort for them to convince themselves to do the day to day things.
• Socially exclusive: Socialising is something that takes a lot out of a person who is suffering from depression. A depressed person will start avoiding social events and avoid socializing with people. It is seen that such a person would prefer to be alone than being in company. This is not a sign of depression for every individual as some people are introverts naturally.
• Difficulty in sleeping: People with depression feel restlessness which can affect their sleeping patterns. The person tends to sleep for longer hours or has trouble falling asleep at all.
• Prolonged sadness: Sadness is a regular feeling that everyone feels sometimes. It is completely fine to not be happy all the time. But feeling sad for too long or the feeling of sadness not going away can be concerning.
• Hopelessness: Having a hopeless outlook towards life is a common symptom of depression. Depressed people may feel like they have no purpose in life and lose hope for their future. The person starts feeling worthless and doubts themselves, leading to self-loathing.
• Crying spells: If you feel like crying frequently, regardless of whether something has happened, it may have something to do with depression. Uncontrollable feelings of crying, irrespective of what is happening around you is a sign that should be taken seriously.
• Strong mood swings: People with depression tend to find it challenging when it comes to controlling their emotions. Their mood swings can be quite extreme, where it transitions very quickly and their emotions can come across as quite intense.
• Change in appetite and weight: This is one of the physical impacts depression can have on a person. A person with depression may experience absurd eating patterns, like eating too much or too little. When you face such odd eating behavior, you may also see your weight fluctuating. This is yet another physical marker of depression.
• Anxiety: One of the first and most serious signs of depression is this symptom. While not everyone having anxiety has depression, it is a solid sign of it. Feeling very anxious or worried about small things and experiencing symptoms like fast heart rate, sweating profusely, rapid breathing, panicking, etc, are symptoms to look out for.
• Thought of death: This is a grave sign of depression and should not be taken casually. When you have thoughts of death and about dying or ending your life, please do not ignore it. Depression has lead people to die by suicide due to lack of proper care. You must get professional help at once when you have such thoughts.

Clare Louise