There has been a change in your friend. You have noticed he looks emaciated and exhausted. As a result, he is canceling more and more joint ventures. Even the things he used to enjoy to a significant extent, such as photography, no longer interest him at all.
His withdrawal is becoming more and more pronounced. He may be expressing thoughts of helplessness, hopelessness, or guilt towards you. It’s possible that he sleeps poorly, lays brooding in bed at night, and seems constantly tense during the day. Your friend seems to be showing typical signs of depression…
— First things first
We all have days when we feel sad or disappointed, but depression has more to do with feeling sad than feeling blue.
When a person is depressed, normal activities such as work, school, and socializing can become very challenging.
This can even cause the person to lose interest in activities they once enjoyed. It can be nerve-wracking and intimidating to seek help with depression or contact a loved one about behavior changes (and if you are suffering from depression it may seem too challenging for you), but this type of mood disorder can be treated.
Families are generally eager to be there for each other. When a loved one is depressed, they often ask how they can help. I think the first thing they need to do is learn more about the disease! A person who does not understand what causes depression tends to misinterpret the changed behavior of those who are suffering from it.
Many mistakenly interpret an increasingly withdrawn loved one as being selfish or unloving. The lack of motivation of sick people may appear to be convenient at first glance. It can lead to frustration, anger, and disappointment and make the situation even more difficult for the depressed person and their family members.
— Let’s draw the profile of depression
A serious illness such as depression is very common nowadays. Every one of us probably knows someone who is currently suffering from depression — even if they remain hidden from the rest of us. It is largely due to the stigma surrounding mental illness. In the case of those affected, this often translates into feeling guilty, hiding their complaints, and finding it difficult to seek professional assistance.
The main feature of the syndrome is its depressive character, exhaustion, and loss of any joy or interest.
However, there are other symptoms as well in addition to these core symptoms. Furthermore, those suffering from depression often complain of physical complaints as well, such as back pain, ringing in the ears, and digestive problems.
It may have been rather irritating before the illness, but they may have found it tolerable before the illness. Those affected by the depressive episode suddenly feel as if they are experiencing a tremendous amount of agony. It is not unusual for them to have reported their physical and mental ailments to their general practitioners.
However, not every depressive mood is something that needs to be treated. When a person grieves for a loved one, they are also often depressed, sad and listless for a while. It is possible for a person who feels overwhelmed, or currently is going through family problems, to appear depressed to an observer. According to those who are affected, depression is different from difficult phases in life such as a divorce, separation, or even a death in the family.
It is common for people with depression to suffer from exaggerated feelings of guilt and to feel permanently tense inside, like just before an exam. It is said that when the course is severe, it is as if you were dead inside. No longer are you able to feel anything; not even grief. Psychiatrists are usually able to recognize depression based on these and other characteristics, and they can distinguish it from a reaction to difficult conditions occurring in life.
The symptoms of depression often come in flares. As they emerge — slowly, over a few weeks, less often within a couple of days or overnight — they often last for months without treatment if ignored. In some cases, they may fade away spontaneously. Many people experiencing such an illness feel healthy again between phases of the illness.
When a person has had a depressive episode, they have a higher risk of becoming ill again later in life.
If the depression progresses via several phases, one speaks of a recurrent or recurring form of depression, i.e. an illness that occurs repeatedly. It is still not fully understood how the disease develops. It is, however, currently possible to treat the condition with antidepressants and psychotherapy.
Originally posted on Medium
