It's natural to feel sad sometimes.
It's a normal reaction to situations
that make you upset.
But sometimes it can keep going on and on for days,
weeks, or even months with no end in sight.
It can impact your everyday life
and change it for the worst.
When that happens, it's no longer just sadness,
but depression.
Depression is not the one single disorder
with a specific set of symptoms, but instead,
a continuum of signs going from mild to more severe.
Before we continue,
this video is for informative purposes only.
It is not intended to diagnose or treat any condition.
Please reach out to a qualified healthcare provider
or mental health professional if you're struggling.
If you're wondering if your sadness
is something more than just sadness,
or questioning if you might be depressed,
look out for some of these signs.
Number one, sleeping too much.
Do you feel like you just can't get enough sleep?
Either you wake up in the morning
and go back to bed almost right after,
or you sleep until the late afternoon.
Sleeping too much during the day,
even after you've had a full night sleep
is called hypersomnia,
and it's one of the most common symptoms of mood disorders,
including depression.
When you feel sad, you might also feel like
you don't wanna do anything else but sleep.
You may also feel like sleep is an escape
from the depressive reality you live in.
And even if you want to get up and do stuff, you just can't.
It's like you're being chained to your bed.
Not only is this symptom difficult to deal with on its own,
but it can also lead to some other health problems,
which include troubles with memory, headaches and migraines,
weight gain, and heart disease.
Number two, social withdrawal.
Sadness can sometimes isolate you
from your friends and family.
You might feel like it's hard to hang out
when you're feeling blue, and you'd rather stay in your room
and listen to your favorite sad playlist
until that feeling goes away.
But if you are severely depressed,
spending time with others can feel like a chore
you keep putting off.
No matter how much you love your friends, family, partner,
you just don't want anyone's company.
Being around people can feel suffocating in a way
because you feel like you're forced to smile, laugh, talk.
It feels as if you have to act like nothing's wrong,
because how could they understand?
You feel the need to push people away
and make everyone leave you alone,
even though deep inside all you want
is to have someone by your side.
Social withdrawal is a trap
that depression makes you fall into.
You isolate yourself
because it's what you think you need,
but it actually makes you feel more lonely and depressed.
Number three, poor personal hygiene.
Have you ever felt too tired to wash your hair,
so you decide to just spray some dry shampoo for the day?
For people with severe depression,
every day feels like skipping a shower.
If you're struggling with your symptoms,
you probably feel embarrassed to even think about it,
let alone talk about it.
But this is something that happens
to many people with depression.
A global school-based student health survey showed
that girls and boys who reported symptoms of depression
had an increased likelihood of poor hand and oral hygiene,
including washing their hands rarely or never,
and brushing their teeth less than daily.
This is one of the obvious signs
of a severe depressive disorder,
since it's visible on the body, not just in the mind.
It can be extremely hard to brush your teeth,
comb your hair, take a shower, or wash your clothes.
This can happen because you don't have the energy to do it,
you're not leaving your home,
or you may feel like there's just no point.
Number four, losing interest in hobbies and activities.
Sadness can make you feel unmotivated
to do things you usually like.
Maybe you decide you don't really wanna go see that movie,
or you skip your sports practice.
When you're severely depressed,
that feeling goes even further.
You almost completely lose interest
in the hobbies and activities that you used to enjoy.
It just doesn't bring you happiness anymore.
This can reinforce the lack of motivation you feel,
and it can worsen your symptoms in several ways.
It can isolate you from others
or make you feel like you're not yourself anymore.
Also, since you don't do much during the day,
you feel bored all the time,
and boredom leaves you with too much time for bad thoughts
that run through your head constantly.
This happens to you because of the way
depression impacts your brain,
messing up important hormones and brain structures
that usually help you stay active and motivated.
And number five, suicidal thoughts.
When you're feeling sad, you may fantasize about going away
for some time, away from the situation that makes you sad,
and away from the worries that trouble you.
But if you daydream of being gone for good
or think about taking your own life,
that almost certainly rings the alarm
and shows you could be suffering from severe depression.
We cannot emphasize enough how serious this symptom is.
According to the 2017 national survey by the Substance Abuse
and Mental Health Services Administration,
4.3% of U.S. adults ages 18 and older
had thoughts about suicide.
And the risk of suicidal ideation gets higher
for people with mental disorders.
And this is what makes depression
a potentially deadly disease.
It's heartbreaking to see anyone feel so much pain
that they think dying is the only solution.
But the thing with depression is, it can be treated.
Medicine and psychology came a long way
to develop treatment options.
And as other depressive symptoms get under control,
suicidal thoughts get under control too.
It's important to give treatment a chance.
If you or someone you know has suicidal thoughts,
please get help right away by reaching out to a close friend
or loved one, or call a suicide hotline number.
Do you see yourself in some of these signs?
If you do, please know that there will always be someone
to help, and that recovery is possible,
no matter how hard or unbelievable it may seem.
Your doctor or mental health professional
is here to hear you out,
examine the symptoms you're struggling with
and offer you treatment.
Asking for help is the bravest and the best thing
that you can do for yourself.
So don't go through this alone.
Make sure to like and share this video
if you think it will help someone else.
The studies and references used are listed
in the description below.