How To Know Someone Is Depressed

Remind Them That They Matter

A common feeling among those who are depressed is that their lives don’t matter and no one would even care if they were gone. If you can sincerely tell your friend about all the ways that they matter to you and others, this can help them realize that they have value and worth.

Letting them know that they are an important person in your life can mean a lot when someone is struggling with feelings of depression and worthlessness.

Common Causes Of Depression

Scientists do not yet know the exact cause of depression. However, many experts think that several factors play a role in its onset, including:

• Genetics: Depression can run in families. Having a close relative with the condition can raise a persons risk of developing it themselves.
• Biological and chemical differences: Physical changes or chemical imbalances in the brain may contribute to the development of depression.
• Hormones: Hormonal changes or imbalances in the body may cause or trigger depression. For example, many people experience postpartum depression after giving birth.
• Trauma or stress: Periods of high stress, traumatic events, or major life changes can trigger an episode of depression in some people.
• Personality traits: Having low self-esteem or being pessimistic, for example, may increase the risk of depression.
• Other illnesses: Having another mental or physical health condition or taking certain medications can increase the risk of depression.

People who believe that they may have hidden depression should contact a doctor or mental health professional. These professionals can help make a diagnosis and recommend a course of treatment.

Other steps to manage depression might include:

Home Remedies And Lifestyle Changes For Depression

Some lifestyle habits can help you manage your depression and lessen its symptoms. They include:

Getting regular exercise. Physical activity including aerobic exercise, tai chi, yoga, and weight training have been shown to increase your bodyâs production of endorphins, which are hormones that improve your mood.

Studies show aerobic exercise such as walking and swimming can be as effective as an antidepressant in reducing depression. Those who continue to exercise are less likely to have their depression come back.

Avoiding alcohol. While you may drink alcohol to relax, it can cause problems like depression and anxiety down the road. Alcohol is a depressant that can interfere with the neurotransmitters that control your mood.

Avoiding caffeine. It can worsen your anxiety by increasing your stress hormone cortisol.

Drinking water. Even mild dehydration can worsen your mood and increase your anxiety. Experts recommend men have 15 cups of water per day and women have 11. Of that, 80% should come from drinking water and 20% from the food you eat.

Taking care of yourself. Get enough sleep, set boundaries in your personal and professional life, eat a healthy diet, and practice stress-reduction techniques such as mindfulness. These can help you better cope with lifeâs challenges without becoming depressed.

In addition to these steps, ask your doctor about supplements, vitamins, or herbs that may help with any symptoms of depression youâre having.

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Take Deep And Conscious Breaths

Deep breathing is a simple and efficient way to reduce your stress levels and regain control in your mind. When you start feeling overwhelmed at work or in any other environment, sit down and take a few deep and conscious breaths. Breath in until you feel your diaphragm expand and then slowly let out your breath. You can focus on breathing by slowly counting to five or ten while you take a breath in and then counting to five or ten while you exhale.

Make sure you focus on breathing your with diaphragm. You should feel your stomach move rather than your shoulders to take in a deep breath. Try to take in five to ten deep breaths before you return to the task that feels overwhelming. You will find that the slight interruption and focus on breathing actually gives you the chance to step away from the project or task for a moment and regain a feeling of balance. You can then focus on the task without feeling overwhelmed.

How Is Depression Diagnosed

For a diagnosis of depression to be confirmed, a doctor will assess your state of mind and look for specific symptoms. In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition criteria, which is used to diagnose depression, doctors must look for two core symptoms:

• During the last month have you often been bothered by feeling down, depressed, or hopeless?
• Do you have little interest or pleasure in doing things?

Doctors making the assessment will look to see if one, or both, of these symptoms have been present for at least two weeks.

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How To Help Someone With Hidden Depression

If you believe that someone you love has hidden depression, you can help by offering emotional support and a safe place to talk about it. Share your observations in a nonjudgmental way and ask how you can be there for them.

Remember, depression can make small tasks feel impossible, so a little help can go a long way. For example, you may offer to take a morning walk with them, look online and help them find a therapist, or drive them to a nearby support group.

The SAMHSA National Helpline can be reached at 800-662-HELP. Its a free, confidential, 24/7/365 information service for treatment and referrals.

The Suicide Prevention Hotline at 800-273-8255 can also help you or your loved one talk to a trained crisis worker, any time of the day or night.

TalkSpace and BetterHelp offer online therapy services, so you can work with someone from the comfort of your own home.

There are a number of great blogs and podcasts for depression support as well:

• Time to Change has a section for reading and sharing personal stories.

You Can Move Forward In The Face Of Your Depression

Some people believe that having depression makes them weak or broken. The truth is that every day they get out of bed, go to work, or move forward while living with depression is proof of their ability to keep going.

Depression can feel like a weight on your chest. For some people, it can be a disability.

However, every day that someone keeps going while theyre living with depression is proof they can keep going.

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How Can I Take Care Of Myself

Once you begin treatment, you should gradually start to feel better. Go easy on yourself during this time. Try to do things you used to enjoy. Even if you dont feel like doing them, they can improve your mood. Other things that may help:

• Try to get some physical activity. Just 30 minutes a day of walking can boost mood.
• Try to maintain a regular bedtime and wake-up time.
• Eat regular, healthy meals.
• Do what you can as you can. Decide what must get done and what can wait.
• Try to connect with other people, and talk with people you trust about how you are feeling.
• Postpone important life decisions until you feel better.
• Avoid using alcohol, nicotine, or drugs, including medications not prescribed for you.

What Are The Symptoms Of Depression And How Is It Diagnosed

The NHS recommends that you should see your GP if you experience symptoms of depression for most of the day, every day, for more than 2 weeks.

Doctors make decisions about diagnosis based on manuals. The manual used by NHS doctors is the International Classification of Diseases .

When you see a doctor they will look for the symptoms that are set out in the ICD-10 guidance. You do not have to have all of these to be diagnosed with depression. You might have just experience some of them.

Some symptoms of depression are:

• low mood, feeling sad, irritable or angry,
• having less energy to do certain things,
• losing interest or enjoyment in activities you used to enjoy,
• reduced concentration,

You may also find that with low mood you:

• feel less pleasure from things,
• feel more agitated,
• find your thoughts and movements slow down, and
• have thoughts of self-harm or suicide.

Your doctor should also ask about any possible causes of depression. For example, they may want to find out if youve experienced anything traumatic recently which could be making you feel this way.

There are no physical tests for depression. But the doctors may do some tests to check if you have any physical problems. For example, an underactive thyroid can cause depression.

On the NHS website, they have a self-assessment test which can help you to assess whether you are living with depression: www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/clinical-depression/overview/

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Depression In Women: 5 Things You Should Know

Being sad is a normal reaction to difficult times in life. But usually, the sadness goes away with a little time. Depression is differentit is a mood disorder that may cause severe symptoms that can affect how you feel, think, and handle daily activities such as sleeping, eating, or working. Depression is more common among women than men, likely due to certain biological, hormonal, and social factors that are unique to women.

This brochure contains an overview of five things that everyone should know about depression in women.

What To Do If You Think A Friend Is Considering Suicide

Suicide isnt inevitable. We can all help prevent suicide. If you believe someone you know may be thinking about suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 800-273-8255 for free, any time, 24/7.

The hotline also offers you a toolkit for supporting people on social media, down to specific platforms like Facebook and Twitter.

They can help you determine how to identify someone in need of support and who to contact within the social media community if youre worried about their safety.

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Eating Too Much Or Too Little

Increased or decreased appetite is a common symptom of depression. Gary Kennedy, MD, director of geriatric psychiatry at

Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, New York, says, A sudden change in weight, either gaining or losing, can be a warning of depression, especially in someone who has other symptoms of depression or a history of depression.

If you notice unusual eating habits in a friend or loved one, they could be suffering silently from depression.

Changes In What They Post Online

• Posting comments such as, I hate myself, or I suck at everything.
• Posting dark poetry or quotes, disturbing songs or videos
• Using hashtags that are connected to topics you find unusual or worrisome for them .
• Using sad, distressed emoticons or emoticons of destructive things such as guns and knives

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How To Tell If Someone Is Depressed

W. Nate Upshaw, MD

Dr. William Nathan Upshaw is the Medical Director of NeuroSpa TMS®. Since receiving training from the inventor of TMS Therapy nearly a decade ago, Dr. Upshaw has been a pioneer, champion and outspoken advocate of TMS Therapy. Dr. Upshaws holistic experience in the field has transformed him into Floridas leading advocate for widespread accessibility to TMS Therapy.

Despite the fact that depression is the most common mental illness, it can in fact be difficult to tell if someone is depressed. How someone experiences depression can vary, and can depend upon factors such as social upbringing, environment, and personality. Some may experience many signs and symptoms of depression, but not be acting or behaving in a way that is consistent with how they are truly feeling. This may not always be the case, though. Here are some signs to look for in yourself or loved ones that tell if they have depression.

Depression also leads you to find little to no pleasure in activities you once enjoyed. If you notice friends or loved ones avoiding or appearing displeased doing things that once was fun and engaging, this could be a sign of depression. Depression can feel so physically and emotionally draining, that even things someone loves can feel unbearable. Another area where someone may lose interest in is sex sex drive and desire can be decreased if someone has a depressive episode.

Information For Family Carers And Friends

You can get support if you are a carer, friend or family member of someone living with depression.

Being a carer might mean you can claim certain benefits that might help you and the person you care for. For more information, please see the Mental Health and Money Advice services website:www.mentalhealthandmoneyadvice.org/en/welfare-benefits/what-benefits-are-available-for-mental-health-carers/

You could also get in touch with carer support groups or sibling support groups. You can search for local groups in your area online or ask your GP.

You can ask your local authority for a carers assessment if you need more practical support to help care for someone.

As a carer you should be involved in decisions about care planning. There are rules about information sharing and confidentiality which may make it difficult for you to get all the information you need in some circumstances.

You can find out more information about:

• Carers assessments by clicking here.
• Confidentiality and information sharing by clicking here.

How can I support the person that I care for?

You might find it easier to support someone with depression if you understand their symptoms, treatment and self-management skills. You can use this to support them to get help and stay well.

Below are some initial suggestions for providing practical day to day support to someone with depression.

You can find out more information about:

You can find more information about:

Website: www.web.ntw.nhs.uk/selfhelp/

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How Can I Help A Friend Who Is Struggling

Sometimes, even when our instincts tell us that something is off with one of our friends, we second guess our own feelings because we dont want to make a wrong assumption and offend them or push them away. Part of being a good friend is showing up when someone we care about is going through a difficult time. This includes trusting your instincts and taking the risk to be honest about what you noticed and why youre concerned.

What should you do when you notice a concerning change in your friends mood, behaviors, or what they say?

• First and most importantly, if you believe there is an immediate threat and that your friend might harm themselves or someone else, call 9-1-1.
• If you are worried about a friend and not sure how to help, you can text START to 741741 or call 1-800-273-TALK to chat with a trained counselor anytime.
• Read up on how and when to start a conversation with a struggling friend
• Learn more about how to help a friend who decides to reach out for support
• Learn the warning signs of suicide and speak up if you notice any of them in your friends behavior

If Your Loved One Has Symptoms

• Encourage your loved one to seek professional help. If your loved one is considering harming themselves or having other dark thoughts, immediate treatment is critical. Go to the nearest emergency room or contact a local mental health provider. You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 .
• Create a safe environment. If the person expresses suicidal thoughts, remove any potentially lethal items from the home, such as guns, Dr. Dunlop says.
• Be kind. Blaming or chastising depressed people for feeling low or unmotivated is not helpful and typically serves to reinforce negative feelings they already have, Dunlop says. Instead, open the discussion in a nonjudgmental way and encourage the person to seek help.
• Be willing to support treatment. Offer to help your loved one prepare a list of questions for a provider about depression or drive them to appointments.

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Crying For Help Then Taking It Back

Those with hidden depression may struggle with a vulnerability hangover. That is, sharing about whats really going on, only to later feel awkward, guilty, shameful, or generally unpleasant about letting someone get so close.

They may reveal dark thoughts and even call a therapist, only to back out of an appointment at the last minute and say, Nevermind, Im fine.

You might notice oversharing on social media, which is sharing posts that contain lots of personal information. They might show a pattern of sharing personal details online, then deleting the posts soon after.

This could be for any number of reasons, from not wanting to be a burden on loved ones or growing up in a culture where feelings were swept under the rug.

In any case, its still a good idea to follow up with your loved one. Let them know that its okay to be vulnerable, and that you still love them no matter what.

Depression is known to create sudden shifts in mood, including increased:

documented a peculiar phenomenon called depressed realism. Essentially, the theory is that those with depression have a more realistic view of the world, and their role in it, more than their non-depressed counterparts.

For someone with hidden depression, this may come out in conversation as a cynical comment about reality. You might hear something like, Its not like any of this matters anyway, so who cares?

I Think My Friend Is Depressed What Should I Do

If you think your friend is depressed, there are some things you can do to help.

First, try to talk to them about their feelings and ask if there is anything wrong. Say that youve noticed that they dont seem themselves and reassure that youre there for them. You could encourage them to seek professional help either by visiting their GP or health professional, or encourage them to call Suicide Call Back Service on .

Here are some other ways to help:

• If they choose to get some professional help, you could accompany them to the appointments
• You could organise some activities together that youd both enjoy
• You could start a weekly exercise routine together
• You could cook some healthy meals for them or get together to cook.

If your friend talks about suicide, its very important that you encourage them to get help right away. This resource will give you some more information on how to help.

If you need someone to talk to, you can also phone the Suicide Call Back Service on to speak to a counsellor.

If it is an emergency, please call 000.

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