Unusual Symptoms of Depression

When talking about depression the most common theme is around feeling sad. But for many people depression manifests in different, less obvious ways. Recently, Redit posted a forum discussion titled ‘What Does Nobody Tell You About Depression’. It received over 1200 comments from people participating in the discussion.

Given depression is such a wide-spread illness and the Redit post illustrates the wide-ranging symptoms, it is useful to have those unexpected symptoms in listed and available for New Born Baby readers. Having a baby automatically puts you at higher risk of depression, so it is worth knowing what your mood changes might mean.

Unusual Symptoms of Depression:

  • Personal hygiene is not a priority – When someone is depressed the smallest task seems insurmountable. This includes basic hygiene  – for many people with depression just getting out of bed is a huge task. The thought of showering, putting on clean clothes and brushing hair and teeth can be too overwhelming.
  • Inability to Concentrate – Phycologists refer to this as ‘brain fog’. One Redit user says: “it seriously effects your memory on top of your motivation. I’ll walk by the sink and see the dishes think “I’ll do those in a minute” and with in five minutes I literally forget that the dishes need done.” Others describe it as not being able to make basic connections, forgetting small things, or when ‘thoughts just fizzle out.’
  • You Lose Your Sense of Self – Some describe a feeling of hollowness, or a feeling of not being able to remember who they are, or what they love to do. One user described how depression robbed him of his love of surfing: “I used to be known as someone who was super into summer activities, beach days, being outside all summer and basically trying to get as close to a surf lifestyle as possible. As my depression grew worse and worse I literally forgot about these things.”
  • Lack of Any Feeling At All – While prolonged sadness is a symptom of depression, many spoke of feeling nothing at all – not sadness, not happiness. “My experience with depression was emptiness. I was never suicidal, never wanted to hurt myself, I just felt entirely worthless and like there was no point. I just sort of drifted listlessly from day to day.”
  • You Experience Anxiety – Anxiety and depression were described as a ‘package deal’. “And it’s the worst package ever. Depression wants me to be indifferent constantly. Anxiety wants me to feel and fear everything all the time.”
  • The Pain is Physical – Depression manifest in physical symptoms, in the same way your body responds to anxiety. The physical pain is described as a chest tightening, a dull throb, a vague all-over pain, a pain in your heart, a whole in your heart.

If you think you may be suffering from depression, make an appointment with you GP. If you are unsure you can use the Beyond Blue Check List .

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