[Narrator] - Hey Psych2Goers, welcome back to our channel.
Did you know that 264 million people
around the world reportedly suffer from depression?
However, there's still a large number
of people who remain ignorant
about the nature of depression.
A common misconception is that depression looks the same
for everybody and is easy to identify in others.
This isn't always true.
Before we begin, we wanna remind you
that this video is for informative purposes only.
It's not intended to diagnose or treat any condition.
Please reach out to a qualified healthcare provider
or mental health professional if you're struggling.
With that said,
here are six of the most often overlooked symptoms
of depression that you should know about.
Number one, overeating.
While most people may associate depression with weight loss
and loss of appetite, the opposite can actually be true.
Overeating is an uncommon, but still significant symptom
of depression because it indicates a disturbance
in one's normal eating habits and patterns,
which is likely due to low mood.
Dramatic weight gain may be especially telling
of depression as well, because most people tend to use food
as a coping method when they're stressed.
Number two, oversleeping.
Another less commonly known symptom of depression
is oversleeping or hypersomnia.
Though it is much more common
for people who are depressed to suffer from insomnia,
that is being unable to sleep most days,
hypersomnia is still considered a warning sign
that someone may be mentally unwell, why?
Because a sudden desire to spend most
of your hours asleep indicates emotional burnout, fatigue,
low energy, negative feelings, lack of motivation,
and most of all, a depressed mood.
Number three, substance abuse.
Though we might not immediately think that someone
who uses drugs or drinks a lot of alcohol
is actually crying out for help,
especially if they do it frequently or at parties,
it's important to take a closer look
at this kind of behavior, just to make sure.
After all, just like sleeping or overeating,
a lot of people often turn to drugs or alcohol
to help them cope with feelings of intense sadness,
emptiness, and loneliness.
Number four, risky behavior, similar to substance use.
You might think someone who drinks a lot,
experiments with drugs, and does risky, but exciting things
are only having fun and looking for a good time.
However, it might indicate feelings
of hopelessness, self-destructiveness,
and suicidal ideation.
Risky behaviors such as speeding, drunk driving,
getting into fights, having frequent unprotected sex,
stealing, vandalizing, smoking, and so on,
may be deliberate attempts to put oneself in harm's way
and could mean that someone is spiraling deeper
into their depression.
Number five, anger and irritability.
When we think of someone who's depressed,
we often picture a person who's sad, down,
and lying in bed all day doing nothing.
But frequent and sudden bouts of anger
or irritability could be symptoms of depression too.
This is particularly common among men.
Psychologists believe that this is because anger
is meant to either suppress their emotional torment,
or become a replacement for it.
Many men don't feel comfortable enough
to be open about their depression,
or might not even realize they have it.
So they become angry and irritable
as a maladaptive way of coping.
And number six, uncontrollable emotions.
Aside from anger and irritability,
people may also become uncontrollably emotional
when struggling with depression.
Mood swings, temper tantrums, increased sensitivity
to rejection, and hysterical crying
are sometimes observed in patients who are depressed.
Forgot to mention something to them?
It'll likely turn into a big fight.
Missed their call because you were busy?
They're probably going to spend hours crying
and overthinking about it.
Those with depression can't cope well
with even the slightest of stressors
and will often get overly emotional about everything.
Oh, did these symptoms remind you of someone you know,
or maybe even yourself?
Please remember that this content
is meant to be informational and is not intended
to diagnose or treat any condition.
But if you do spot these warning signs
in yourself or anyone you know,
please reach out to a mental healthcare professional today.
If you found this video helpful,
please let us know in the comments below.
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Thanks so much for watching, until next time.