Five Signs of Depression that Nobody Talks About
October 25, 2021
5 min read
Would you recognize these symptoms?
Written by Simon Spichak
Think about your five or ten closest friends. Chances are, at least one of them is dealing with some form of depression. Amidst a tumultuous pandemic, climate crises, and economic downturns it isn't surprising. More than 250 million people experience depression every year, though I’d wager the number’s gone way up these last few years.
Why is something so common so difficult to spot and treat? Despite what we want to believe, there is still stigma surrounding mental health — especially when it comes to therapy and treatments. But beyond that, a lot of people don’t have a clue about what depression looks like.
A lot of what we see in movies and television doesn’t accurately portray depression, or tell us much about its many different forms or symptoms. Everyone has an individualized experience — rarely is it as simple as being sad all the time. So what are these other signs and symptoms?
Symptom #1: Brain Fog and Cognitive Impairment
Ever had significant difficulty focusing on a task or studying? Or a whole week where you have trouble writing an email. It feels like your thoughts are stuck in thick molasses. Worst of all, it can compound that sinking feeling in your gut that you’re not intelligent — an imposter.
An estimated 85–94 percent of people with a major depressive disorder also experience cognitive symptoms. During remission, about two in five will continue to experience these symptoms. While a lot of people with depression might be highly functioning, it takes a lot of energy to compensate for brain fog.
It can feel like you’re falling far behind or struggling to keep up, so you might overexert yourself or punish yourself for procrastinating by working late into the night. If you’re dealing with these symptoms, the key is understanding that you need to rest.
Symptom #2: You Feel Numb All the Time
Depression really messes with your emotions — often causing apathy and a loss of joy. Celebrating achievements becomes difficult, the highs don't feel that much different than the lows. Sometimes, you might not even recognize you’re depressed because you’re just feeling nothing.
This form of depression is especially pernicious — it is characterized by prolonged periods of mild depression coupled with a lack of joy. It can even affect the way that food tastes. Since nothing elicits strong feelings or joy it leads to a lack of motivation to do just about anything.
Symptom #3: Short-Term Memory Impairment
Yes, that’s right. Many people with depression experience short-term memory impairments. Think about it like your computer — there’s a certain amount of memory that your computer uses to remember all the tasks and applications that are running. But there’s a limit to that memory — and if you take away some of that memory, your computer won’t be able to run as fast or as well.
It is a similar situation with depression — making it more difficult to store relevant short-term information. Whether that makes you forgetful, or slower at remembering things, it’s yet another symptom one can’t simply just get over.
Symptom #4: Headaches
Around 40 percent of people with mental health conditions experience headaches as one of the symptoms. Some people even report migraines preceding episodes of major depressive disorder. Headaches can make it even more difficult to get motivated or focus on a task. Worst of all, when you do feel like going out with friends — these headaches can make it a lot harder.
Symptom #5: Irritability and Anger
When you’re going through a depressive spell, every little thing can set you off. Sometimes it’s because you’re frustrated that you can’t focus on anything — or you feel isolated and alone. Every little nuisance feels like another needle poking and prodding your skin. It’s hardly the symptom we imagine when we think of the condition, but it’s quite common.
Some physicians might even look for this as a potential symptom. If you or a friend of yours has been extra irritable or angry, the underlying reason might be depression. This is one of those symptoms that’s easy to miss if you’re not looking out for it.
Takeaways
Depression sucks, and getting it under control is also a challenge. Not everyone has family or friends that can support them. Worse yet, drug treatments and psychotherapy take months before they start working. For some, it takes a year to get the right treatment or find the right therapist.
But then there’s also a lot of us who might not recognize the signs or symptoms. As someone who has experienced a lot of these at some point, it can make you hesitant to reach out for help. What if someone thinks you’re faking? Or doesn’t understand why you aren’t productive?
Here’s a quick guide to some of the less common symptoms that we should all learn to recognize:
Brain fog or cognitive impairments
Apathy and numbed emotions
Short-term memory impairments
Headaches
Irritability and anger
Remember that even reaching out for help, or talking with a friend or loved one is a difficult step towards managing depression. But when you do reach out and talk to others about it, you might begin to realize you’re not the only one struggling with it. There is help, and you don’t need to go it alone.
This post was originally published on Medium.
Please note that this post is written for educational purposes, it is not therapy. If you need to talk to a professional please book a consultation with a psychotherapist through Resolvve.
