Every two in ten persons may have a case of depression, and in most cases, one of the two, is not aware that he/she is depressed.
Depression doesn’t affect the blood, or the skin, or show any physical sign, so there is no depression test one can administer to know if a person is depressed.
‘You can’t treat what you don’t know’. Because of this, most people have been dealing with depression for a very long time without knowing.
Doctors and other medical practitioners concerned with psychology, use physical examinations to diagnose depressive patients with questions like;
- When did your symptoms start?
- How long have they lasted?
- How severe are they?
- If depression or other mental illnesses run in your family?
- If you have a history of drug or alcohol abuse?
- If you have had depression symptoms before, and how you treated it, or if you didn’t?
- If you are on any antidepressant or the likes?
- How do you know you’re depressed?
Depression can be due to something physical; loss of a loved one, personal problems or struggles, heartbreak and other emotional hurts. These can make you overwhelming sad and feel distant from everything and everyone.
Sometimes, these symptoms can last for a very long period or a short while. Other times, depression can be very chronic and in this case, the negative thoughts that accompany it, make you feel less of yourself, pessimistic about life and cause you a lot of pain that may lead to suicide, as it does in one in every ten persons.
According to WebMD, other signs include;
- Trouble concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions
- Fatigue
- Insomnia
- Restlessness
- Loss of interest in things we once loved and enjoyed
- Aches, pains, headaches, or cramps that won’t go away
- Digestive problems that don’t get better, even with treatment
- Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” feelings
When you’ve been feeling uneasy for too long, and you notice these symptoms, and it feels like they’re not going away, then it’s about time to visit your doctor.
Your doctor will test you for depression, and if indeed,you are depressive, they can help you manage the symptoms.
The state of your mind should be of utmost importance to you.
Featured Image Credit:Psypost.com
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This article was first published on 18th January 2018
amarachi
Amara Adanna Ogbonna is a Christian, foodie, and lover of arts. She spends most of her time on Facebook.
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