How to Identify the Warning Signs of Depression and Eliminate Them From Your Life

You’ve been pretending everything’s okay, but you can’t keep ignoring all the red flags forever.

On some days it’s easier than others, but deep down you know you’ve lost your edge. The zest for life you used to have — the one that pushed you out of bed in the mornings to tackle life’s greatest challenges – is nowhere to be found.  You’re a shell of your former self… and you need to change now.

Of all the mental health issues out there, depression is one of most difficult to diagnose.  People struggle with it for so long they just assume this is “the way things are” and their eyes are blind to any other possibilities. The severity of the symptoms varies from day to day; sometimes they’re hardly detectable, while on others you can’t even force yourself out of bed.  If this sounds like you but you aren’t certain, take a look at some of the most common warning signs of depression:

You lose interest in your favorite hobbies. When spending time with your family or wrapped up in your favorite hobbies starts feeling like an obligation, or when you start rationalizing your choices to spend your time on other things, something’s seriously wrong. Depressed people have a hard time understanding why they just don’t the simple things in life anymore.

You notice changes in your sleep patterns.  Any disruptions to your normal sleep patterns – either by sleeping shorter or less than normal - are signs of a potential problem.  Most people make the mistake of thinking they only need to worry if they’re sleeping longer than they’re used to… but this isn't full side of the story!  Sometimes depressed people only sleep a few hours a night.

You can't focus or remember critical details.  You find yourself trying your best to fulfill your responsibilities and get through your day, but it's pretty much useless when your mind feels a million miles away.  These symptoms start to pop up when you aren't fully engaged with your life.

You don’t have any energy. Another consideration is how often you feel lethargic or hesitant to begin your days. If it takes everything you have just to peel yourself out of bed and keep your motivation alive - even after a full night's rest - you could be suffering from depression.

Little things always annoy you.  If you get upset about even minor inconveniences, your frustration could simply be the "surface level" emotion masking deeper emotional issues.  People assume anger and depression are distinct emotional states, but in reality they can and do often overlap.

As discussed above, many of the warning signs of depression aren’t obvious if you don’t know what to look out for. Maybe you’ve been justifying your negative emotions as a lack of toughness or personal weakness on your part.  But it's important that you stop the self-blame. The first step to getting better means you need to recognize that you're dealing with a serious mental health issue here, and it's not your fault!

When they eventually choose to seek treatment, most people agree to the first antidepressant regimen their physician recommends. But you should think twice regarding this approach because these drugs are not only pricey, but they can create many devastating side effects.

Depression is a complex mental health condition because it depends on such a wide spectrum of factors.  Therefore, contemplating alternative ways to treat it is a wise decision.  Selecting a holistic approach to fighting your condition - through changes in your diet, certain self-help techniques, and through using the incredible power of your mind, to name a few - is the best approach to eliminate your symptoms without risking exposing yourself to dangerous side effects.