Early signs of depression that you cannot ignore

Health is wealth, that's what we have been learning since childhood. However, it is very important to understand that emotional well-being is a major part of your health. Because of the taboo surrounding mental health, especially in a country like ours, people face trouble encountering mental health issues as it can be a little tricky and confusing among people to understand it precisely.

Depression is one of the most common mental health issues which can be treated well with the timely intervention of professionals. However, to encounter such trouble, it is necessary to detect it. To help you all out, here are some of the early signs of depression suggested by professionals which can help you detect and help yourself and your loved ones from falling into the well of trouble.

What is depression?

As per American Psychiatric Association, “Depression is a serious mental illness which can negatively affect the way we think, feel and the way we act on it.”

Dr Deepti Puranik, Assistant Professor & Psychologist said, “Clinical depression is a very severe form of depression and is different from feeling depressed or sad.” She added, “Anyone can suffer from depression though it is more prevalent in the age group of 18 to 40 followed by the age group of 40 and above.”

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What are the early signs of depression?

Before you reach an extreme, it is always good to know about the early stages of depression. Take help from below mentioned early signs of depression suggested by Dr Puranik:

Feeling sad: Human beings face different emotions every day and sadness is one of them which occurs due to disappointment and many other reasons, but if such feeling is prolonged and one can not notice changes in their emotions, then it may be a sign of depression.

Loss of interest: At times, we do not want to perform everyday activities due to some reasons but if an individual is facing a loss of interest in everyday activity continuously and has no desire to even perform their favourite task, then one must consult a professional about it!

Increased fatigue: A person can become worn out because of many reasons including the underlying causes of some diseases but if you come across a condition where an increase in your fatigue level has grown and not improving with time, then it might arrive as one of the signs of depression.

Anxiety: One can experience anxiety while doing any task but it can also be one of the signals referring to depression if such a condition goes beyond your usual limit. You should consult help from professionals.

Changes in appetite: Changes in appetite are a common sign of an early stage of depression which can be cured if not ignored and can make you feel distress-free.

Dr Puranik also said, “It is necessary to understand that we may have experienced these symptoms  sometime in our life but here, these symptoms are severe and would be persistent for weeks.”

Dr Puranik prescribed some of the basic precautions for an individual by saying, “It is important to monitor and self evaluate our own thoughts and behavior.” She also added, “If the signs are persistent, we should immediately seek consultation with a clinical psychologist or a psychiatrist. One should never feel ashamed or guilty about seeking help.”