10 Ways To Spot Depression On A Loved One
10 Ways To Spot Depression On A Loved One. Depression is a painful condition, both for the person suffering from it and his or her loved ones. It is very important for friends or loved ones to learn the tell-tale signs of depression. This will help them to offer help as early in the process as possible.
1. Loss Of Interest In Once Loved Activities
Sometimes this loss of pleasure may not be complete. So your loved one may gravitate only to those things that are easily enjoyed and require the least amount of effort, such as playing video-games, sitting in front of the TV or surfing the Web. Engaging with another person and meeting that person’s needs require more effort than surfing the Web and therefore may be an early sign of depression.
2. Sleep Difficulties
This may take the form of trouble falling asleep, or waking up during the night or the early hours of the morning. You may find your loved one in another room, trying to while away the time. This may disrupt your own sleep and may feel like abandonment. Again, it’s important not to take the symptom personally, but recognize it for what it is.
3. Eating Changes
It can be too little or too much, with corresponding weight changes in the expected direction. A husband (for example) can readily become angry with his wife and blame her for eating too much and gaining weight, misinterpreting the symptom as a sign that she no longer cares as much about their intimate life and is therefore “letting herself go.”
4. Anger and Irritability
A depressed person struggles to get through the day. Ordinary obstacles and challenges become more difficult and can lead to frustration and the feelings that go along with that. This is another tell-tale sign of depression that is easy to take personally.
5. Mood Swings
People with depression may have volatile emotions. A normally laid back person may suddenly seem moody much of the time. Mood swings are a very common indicator someone is depressed. If this happens only once or twice, the person may just be having a bad day. However, if this pattern of behavior continues for a while, it may indicate depression.
6. Faking Happiness
Forced happiness refers to someone putting on a happy face for others. A person may deny anything is wrong and act more upbeat than usual. However, this mask cannot be maintained. As a result, someone who is feigning happiness may withdraw from others for fear of being found out.
7. Extreme Guilt
People with depression may feel guilty. Guilt about every aspect of one’s life may be an indicator of depression. The person may express guilt about past and present mistakes. If you notice someone expressing a lot of guilt, especially over trivial matters, this person may be depressed.
8. Substance Abuse
Substance abuse can be a major indicator of depression. While not all people suffering from depression develop substance abuse problems, many do. It’s not uncommon for a person experiencing depression to start drinking heavily or using other recreational drugs
9. Suicidal Ideas
These may take a passive form such as, “I don’t care if I live or die” or a more active form, such as “Sometimes I feel like driving the car off the road.” Always take such statements very seriously. There is a common myth that if a person is really suicidal, they don’t tell others about it; they do it. That is nothing but a myth, be alert when someone starts talking like that.
10. Loss of confidence in oneself
If a person’s confidence goes down and is no longer optimistic about the future, that is sign of a depression. Depressed people feel poorly about themselves and their future. If your friend or loved one is usually more self confident and optimistic and this then changes, suspect depression.
