deadly-voo:

roachpatrol:

Okay, here’s a good list to pass around. It took me several years to even think about looking up the symptoms of depression, and I think it would have done my good to just be presented with them when I was in my teens, but no one told me…. so, here they are. 

• Feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. A bleak outlook—nothing will ever get better and there’s nothing you can do to improve your situation.
• Loss of interest in daily activities. No interest in former hobbies, pastimes, social activities, or sex. You’ve lost your ability to feel joy and pleasure.
• Appetite or weight changes. Significant weight loss or weight gain—a change of more than 5% of body weight in a month.
• Sleep changes. Either insomnia, especially waking in the early hours of the morning, or oversleeping (also known as hypersomnia).
• Anger or irritability. Feeling agitated, restless, or even violent. Your tolerance level is low, your temper short, and everything and everyone gets on your nerves.
• Loss of energy. Feeling fatigued, sluggish, and physically drained. Your whole body may feel heavy, and even small tasks are exhausting or take longer to complete.
• Self-loathing. Strong feelings of worthlessness or guilt. You harshly criticize yourself for perceived faults and mistakes.
• Reckless behavior. You engage in escapist behavior such as substance abuse, compulsive gambling, reckless driving, or dangerous sports.
• Concentration problems. Trouble focusing, making decisions, or remembering things.
• Unexplained aches and pains. An increase in physical complaints such as headaches, back pain, aching muscles, and stomach pain.

I’d like to add that in my experience, and from what I’ve heard from others, if the depression has been going on unnoticed for a long time, you won’t have noticed these ‘changes’, they’ll have snuck up on you and become an unremarkable part of your life…

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Along with the concentration problems is psychomotor disruptions – either you’re agitated and constantly moving your hands, flicking your fingers, pulling your hair… or you’re clumsy, like you’re surrounded by cotton wool and your extremities are further away than they used to be, so things like writing and walking become really difficult.