Depression is not a joking matter. It leaves the victim feeling empty, guilty and anxious. With such thoughts and mentality, it saps the one energy and can lead the person to do the unthinkable.
As of February 2018, it was stated by the World Bank that 22% of Nigerians suffer from depression. This means that at least one in ten persons is depressed. So you realise why it is important to know the signs of depression so that you can spot it in yourself and others. This would help inform you on how and when to seek help.
Here are 6 tale-tell signs of depression in women:
1. Feeling of guilt, hopelessness and anxiety
Guilt and hopelessness are major signs of depression. Women may exhibit a heightened sense of guilt when depressed as they blame themselves for mistakes they have made. They are also prone to anxiety and fear over the smallest things leading to paranoia. Anxiety interferes with a person’s peace of mind making them concerned about little things. If you experience this for a longer period than two weeks, please seek professional help.
2. Changes in eating pattern
Changes in a person’s eating pattern can indicate depression. Eating too much or too little suggests something is wrong. Some people turn to food for comfort by binge eating while others lose their appetite or eat less due to their moodiness.
3. Loss of interest
Depression can cause a person to lose interest in the things that they normally derived joy from. Some people find social activity overwhelming and seek isolation instead. This sometimes comes off as laziness to people that are not conscious that this is a sign of depression. There is this general unenthusiasm towards basic activities like eating, hobbies, brushing and even bathing- self-care generally.
4. Changes in sleeping pattern
People that are depressed either sleep a whole lot and don’t want to leave their beds and rooms for long periods of time. Also, on the flip side, it can cause insomnia. It can make it harder to sleep at night or can cause whoever is suffering from it to keep waking and sleeping during the night. This change in sleep pattern can also cause tiredness and fatigue during the day which can worsen the case. A remedy can be to use sleeping aids like melatonin, smelling lavender essential oil or using calming sounds to sleep better. If this sleeping pattern changes persist, it is advisable to seek medical help.
5. Anger
Women with depression experience irritability and anger over little things. They are easily triggered leading to an outburst. Symptoms of anger during depression are indicators of a more severe and complex form of depressive disorder.
6. Suicidal thoughts
Depression tends to make one feel like there is not worth living. It provokes thoughts of worthlessness and general tiredness which can lead whoever is suffering to feel like their only way out is to harm themselves or take their life. Also, when people are depressed, they tend to feel emotional pain that they try to quench by resorting to abuse of drugs, alcohol, sex, or people.
If you notice someone is depressed, try to reach out to them and find out more about what they are going through. They should change their negative mindset to positive. Eat good food, exercise and be grateful. More importantly, they should talk to a medical professional.