hey psych2goers welcome back to another
video
have you lost all motivation to do
anything
do you feel tired all the time it can be
difficult to describe how depression
feels
for some it may feel like you're living
a stranger's life
and for others it may feel like an
elephant is sitting on your chest
the clinical definition for depression
however is a mood disorder
that causes persistent feelings of
sadness hopelessness
and apathy with symptoms present for
more than two weeks
sometimes it may be triggered by an
event and other times it may wash over
like an unexpected tide
but despite its unique manifestations
here are five signs to look out for that
signal depression
or a depressive disorder before we begin
we'd like to mention that this video is
created for educational purposes only
and is not intended to substitute a
professional diagnosis
if you suspect you may have depression
or any mental health condition
we highly advise you to seek help from a
qualified mental health professional
let's begin number one changes
in sleep patterns do you feel well
rested
after a good night's sleep or
do you still feel tired sleep is
closely connected to mental and
emotional health
and has demonstrated links to depression
based on the studies by the national
library
of medicine around 75 percent of people
with depression show
symptoms of insomnia the inability to
fall asleep
or stay asleep at night not only that
but many people with depression also
suffer from hypersomnia
which is excessive daytime sleepiness or
trouble staying awake
during the day there is a complex
association between the number of hours
you sleep
and your mood some hypothesize that the
increased release of certain neurons
during rem sleep is what causes insomnia
and hypersomnia
fatigue may also disrupt your sleeping
pattern by causing you to oversleep
despite sleeping sufficient hours some
have reported that their sleep was not
restorative number two change in
appetite
have you found yourself not wanting to
eat at all or eating more so than usual
it's common for those with depression to
experience a change in appetite
the negative emotions you may feel such
as hopelessness or sadness
may affect your desire to eat on the
other hand
eating too much or too little may also
be due to unresolved feelings or
conflicts
because depression can exist co-morbid
with eating disorders please feel free
to reach out to a licensed professional
to discuss treatment
number three indecisiveness
did you know that depression can make it
harder for you to focus and make
decisions
in a depressed state the strong negative
emotions you feel
combined with the pessimistic and
negatively distorted outlook on life
can disrupt your decision-making process
instead of seeing things as they are
you may be gloomier and more pessimistic
in how you view others and your
environment
this negative outlook where you feel
hopeless or believe that you'll fail at
everything you do
may only cause you to avoid taking on
any risks or challenges
to the point that you avoid making any
decisions at all
number four pain do you experience joint
pain
muscle ache or gastrointestinal problems
a surprising sign of depression is
physical pain
because serotonin and norepinephrine are
responsible for mood
and pain regulation an imbalance of
these can lead to pain
studies have shown that treating
depression along with physical pain
can improve the likelihood of the
patient's remission and though there are
many psychopharmaceuticals used to treat
pain
it may be beneficial to couple this
treatment with other techniques
to lower the symptoms of pain and
depression such as talk therapy
stress reduction techniques and
antidepressants
and number five lethargy have you lost
your motivation to do
anything do people often label you as
lazy when we talk about depression we
often think about fatigue being a
defining trait
however fatigue is not just physical it
can also manifest cognitively
through apathy emotional distancing or
impaired concentration
it's why most people dealing with
depression-related fatigue
often have low motivation and experience
a loss of interest
which also explains why they tend to
withdraw from daily activities
did this video help you understand more
about depression let us know in the
comments below
reach out to your doctor or therapist if
you're experiencing or have experienced
any of these symptoms mentioned above if
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the references and studies used in this
video are added in the description below
thanks for watching and we'll see you in
our next video