When a person is battling depression, they are impacted in any number of ways. Those impacts can go beyond them and reach out to their friends, family and coworkers. If you care about those around you or just want to make sure that a depressed person does not drag you down, watch out for signs of depression in them. Keep reading to know what these signs of depression.
Watch Out for Signs of Depression
Is the individual in question keeping people away from them? Consider your last conversation with them. Were they eager to talk and learn how your day was going? You can not expect people to always be friendly or in a good mood, but a depressed person is typically more than that. They can be eerily silent or scuttle conversations with rude comments.
Do you know how the person is sleeping? Depressed individuals often spend a lot of time sleeping, because they feel no impulse to get out of bed in the morning. Another sleep pattern is that of staying up all night.
Take a discrete look at how someone eats. Depressed individuals typically reach for sweets, fattening foods and really anything that is just really easy to make. Someone who eats nothing but restaurant food and take out is likely depressed as they just know they do not have the motivation or care to make a decent meal for themself.
How often do they comment about how bad their life is? If it seems like all they ever do is complain and whine about how hard things are, then depression is almost obvious in this individual. Help them if you can, but also let them know that you would rather not get depressed listening to them. If they are used to talking like this, they might not even know they are depressed. Do not act as a psychologist, as this will anger them, but do try and be a friend.
The Warning Signs of Depression and Suicide
Serious depression can drive people to the point of self-mutilation. This is often a warning signs of depression, a pending suicide attempt. Keep an eye out for unusual injuries, cuts or bruises. Ask them how they are doing and how something happened. Your instincts and their lack of eye contact can usually indicate if they are hiding something.
Are they on time for social engagements? Someone who is tardy for just about everything does not care about life or is dragging through it. It cannot always be traffic. It is usually in fact them.
Learning how to recognize the symptoms of depression in others is critical in this day and age. At the very least, you need to know how and when to protect yourself from those who might be in a tailspin, such as coworkers at work. However, when it comes to your friends and family, you want to know the signs of depression, so that you know when to step in and help out someone that you love get back on their feet emotionally. The ideas and knowledge within this article should help you do just that.