What are Signs for Depression?

Many people are unaware of the signs for depression and question, is depression a mental illness? In short, depression is a mental illness. However, many mental illnesses exist. Therefore, depression is not the only one. Depression is very common and is something that anybody can develop at some point during their life.

Consequently, it is crucial to be aware of the signs for depression. Therefore, if you feel like you have signs for depression, or have been diagnosed, remember depression is treatable.

If you are experiencing signs for depression and are thinking, "is depression a mental illness that I have?" for at least two weeks and the symptoms are frequent, you should seek professional help. In other words, if you experience signs for depression most days and for long periods throughout the day. Furthermore, your first point of contact should be your GP.

There are many signs for depression that you may be experiencing, such as:

• Less energy than usual
• Difficulty concentrating
• Tiredness throughout the day
• Feeling worthless
• Reduced appetite
• Low self-confidence
• Feeling sad, angry or irritable
• Have thoughts of self-harm
• Suicidal thoughts

Therefore, if you are experiencing any signs for depression for over two weeks, you must see a doctor. Most importantly, if you have suicidal thoughts or thoughts of self-harm, you should seek help immediately. Please do not ignore these symptoms of depression as they could be a risk to life.

Also, there may be physical reasons why you are having symptoms of depression. Our physical health can often affect how we feel mentally. Therefore, visiting a doctor will help diagnose any physical problems which may result in the signs for depression going away.

Depression is treatable! There are lots of different types of therapies that treat depression. However, it is not uncommon for medication such as antidepressants to be used to reduce symptoms.

Nevertheless, your doctor will be able to assess what sort of treatment you will need based on your signs for depression. In other words, they will organise treatment for you or point you in the right direction.

In general, if you have signs for depression and are worried about your mental health and wellbeing, it is best to seek help from a doctor. However, there are ways in which you can manage your signs for depression. As a result, you may prevent yourself from becoming depressed by keeping a healthy lifestyle. Also, you may feel your signs for depression have improved so much that you no longer feel depressed.

Just like having a healthy diet positively impacts your physical health, it also positively affects your mental health. In other words, just as eating well will reduce your risk of diabetes, obesity and heart problems, it will help you with a mental illness. Therefore, you should try to maintain a healthy diet, for example:

• Eat lots of fruit and vegetables
• Don't skip meals- eat regularly
• Eat a balanced diet
• Avoid alcohol and caffeine
• Drink plenty of water

Many people can do the opposite of this when suffering from depression. In short, they like to eat unhealthily and binge out to make themselves feel better. However, this will do no good to your mind or body. If you do this, it will hold you back from overcoming depression. Therefore, stick to it to see the positive long-term benefits of eating well for your mental health.

Just as eating a healthy diet, exercising is an excellent way to improve your mental health and wellbeing. Therefore, signs for depression can lessen as you begin to exercise. Unfortunately, many people that are feeling low, are reluctant to start exercising as it is something they aren't used to doing. In other words, it is not a habit that they have formed.

However, by creating the healthy habit of regular exercise, you will see long-term benefits on your physical and mental health. Therefore, start small. After all, slow and steady wins the race!

Start by incorporating small amounts of exercise into your routine. For example, go for a walk, try some gardening, or take up a hobby that involves physical movement. It really doesn't matter. Eventually, you will feel and see the benefits of being more physically active and can do it more often, for longer periods, and more intensely.

It is vital to get a good night's sleep so that we can recharge our batteries. In other words, we need to rest at night-time to feel happier and more active during the day. Therefore, we can focus our minds as we aren't as tired. Although sleep is a symptom of depression, it can be a cause as well to a certain extent.

In other words, when we don't sleep well, we don't feel like ourselves. Instead, we are demotivated and lack concentration. As a result of a lack of motivation and concentration, we can experience many negative problems, such as work or relationships.

A strange but effective way to reduce signs for depression and get a better night's sleep is to schedule time to explore your worries. When we set aside time to worry about things during the day, we can process our thoughts. As a result, we don't have to worry at night and can sleep more quickly and have a better rest.

It can also help write down our negative thoughts and feelings so that they are no longer in our head. Therefore, a good idea is to keep a mood diary. After each activity you do, write down how you feel.

Many people who question "is depression a mental illness?" are often those that have signs for depression. Often people are deterred from talking about their mental health due to fear of stigma and being judged. out of fear of being judged or labelled. Therefore, they keep themselves to themselves and can become isolated.

Talking about your problems is essential so that you don't overthink. Often, problems that we think are a big deal are not so big at all. Therefore, speaking to someone else will help to evaluate the problem. More times than not, the person will discover that the problem was not worth worrying about. However, if the problem is significant, it means that the person they have confided in will be able to help them come up with a solution.

Written by Amy Bamford