The process of depression is often insidious. But if it has taken control of a loved one, you can recognize the signs and talk to them about it in a compassionate manner. You can’t “fix” a person with advice or coerce them into anything, but you can support them in seeking help themselves.
Nebraska Mental Health Centers, a team of mental health professionals in Lincoln, NE, explain some of the signs that a person is depressed:
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Lost Interest In Pleasurable Activities: A depressed person may no longer seem to enjoy activities they used to love or stop doing them entirely.
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Social Alienation: To a depressed person, simply responding to someone’s questions or interacting in any way is a chore. They may feel overwhelmed by socializing and sequester themselves away from everyone else. -
Irritability: Your loved one may snap at you or take offense at comments they would have never minded before. They may also complain more often about bodily aches and pains.
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General Bleakness: Being depressed is not the same as being sad. While sadness is an emotion, depression is an all-encompassing state of low energy, which in part manifests as hopelessness, apathy, and self-destruction. If your loved one seems enmeshed in negative emotions or appears to feel nothing at times, it may be a sign of depression.
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Lack Of Energy: This can manifest itself in many ways. One common way is oversleeping or sleeping until the afternoon or later. Depression sufferers may also sleep poorly and only get a few hours before work. In either case, they will feel drained and tired most of the time. Some depressed people can’t move out of bed for hours.
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Weight Fluctuation: Your loved one may gain or lose a significant amount of weight as a result of their depression, as they may eat uncontrollably or not have the energy to eat at all.
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Drug Abuse: Sometimes, a depressed person may abuse alcohol or drugs, including prescription or over-the-counter drugs.
If this is happening to a loved one, be a compassionate, non-judgmental listener and fully support their efforts to find help with this mental illness. To talk to someone from Nebraska Mental Health Centers, you can reach them at (402) 483-6990. For more information, visit their website.
