Depression is not always exactly as we think it to be. It’s much more than disinterest and sadness. Often times, the symptoms are actually covered up as something completely different.
Major Depressive Disorder affect over 16.1 million American adults over 18 years old. These numbers represent a shocking 6.7% of the U.S population. Since we commonly link the symptoms of depression to other things in our lives, those suffering from depression do not always realize that they have it.
Their symptoms are brushed off, and they believe them to be caused by external factors, such as a stressful work environment, a problematic relationship, or even just due to a lack of sleep.
Of course there is a difference between sadness and depression, although those who are depressed are sad. The main differences is that depression lasts a long time, that it may not have been set off by a specific event, and that it affects pretty much every aspect of life.
Many of us experience trouble sleeping at some point or another. A sleepless night here and there is normal, but if you start to see that your sleep patterns are completely off every night, and that no matter how much time you spend in bed, you’re still exhausted, then your brain might be screaming for help and trying to tell you something.
In some cases, depression can lead to aggressive and even dangerous behaviors. Your body might be looking for an escape for what it’s feeling inside. Self medicating with drugs or alcohol may make you feel better in the moment, but they are really covering up the pain, and serving as a distraction for a much deeper issue.
Experiencing external pain can even be a sign of depression. Sometimes what the brain feels, the body feels too. Any kind of unexplained pain in your body might be worth getting checked out.
Another common way that we avoid our problems and dealing with what we’re really feeling is by keeping ourselves busy at all times, taking on multiple jobs, volunteering, working out excessively, and just skipping out on sleep. You might want to take a step back and try to understand what’s driving this behavior.
Depression can be sneaky. Don’t let it take over you without realizing.