Depression - When Should You Visit Your Doctor for it?

Depression can wreak havoc in anyone’s life. It not only brings relentless hopelessness, but can also alter the life of a person. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) reveals that more than 7% of young adults suffer from depression without their knowledge.

The cardinal symptoms of depression include feeling sad or disinterested in his or her surroundings for most of the time during the day. This may happen with or without any stress. Depression is also characterised by changes in day to day routines like having lack of sleep or more sleep, loss of appetite or eating more than needed, not getting happiness of previously pleasurable activities, getting annoyed and irritated easily, having abrupt mood swings, having feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, worthlessness, having death wishes and ideas for committing suicide etc.

If a person deals with the below mentioned symptoms for more than once a week, it is wise to visit a psychiatrist in order to treat it.

1. Eating irregularities: Loss of appetite is very common in those suffering from depression. A person might find himself withdrawn most of the time. This results in loss of interest in cooking or eating. Too many negative thoughts can curb hunger, resulting in weakness. On the other hand, depression can also lead to overeating. Affinity towards caffeine, chocolates, and ice cream dramatically increases. Studies have shown that these food items can give a soothing feeling. This being said, they are also responsible for weight gain in a person in a very short span of time.
2. Sleeping irregularities: A depressed person might find himself sleeping too much or too little. The disengagement from daily lives and sudden energy drop makes a person fatigued for the better half of the day, resulting in more sleep. This also serves as an escape mechanism for many. There is also the other lot who can hardly sleep due to depression. Irrational thinking and a sense of vengeance can cause this problem. This is a far worse problem. Lack of minimum amount of sleep can disturb the body’s internal clock, resulting in fatigue and tiredness.
3. Frequent agitation: If your friends complain of frequent snapping and agitation from your end, you might be suffering from depression. A load of heavy emotion results into frequent mood swings and force a person to behave irrationally. The sense of understanding and empathy tends to take a back seat and gets replaced by irritation and pain during this phase. A person can find himself on the edge with small and little things.
4. Challenge in concentrating: Forgetting a deadline or losing focus in work is a common tendency witnessed if faced with depression. Concentrating on a job becomes a major challenge. Since the mind is preoccupied with negative thoughts, a person portrays risky behaviour and poor decision-making. Reiteration of the same thoughts can make concentration extremely challenging for a person suffering from depression.
5. Hard to enjoy a hobby: If a person finds it difficult to enjoy things he previously loved doing, he might be suffering from depression. Depression makes it difficult for a person to seek pleasure in fun activities. It creates a vicious cycle of despair and loneliness. Isolation from any company is what a patient of depression longs for. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a and ask a free question.