Depression can mean a lot of things— it's not always the stereotype of someone who is constantly sad and can't get out of bed. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, the symptoms of depression are many and varied, with sadness, hopelessness, and decreased energy being just a few.
In fact, some people with depression don't even experience the low, empty mood it's associated with, according to Smitha Murthy, M.D., a psychiatrist at the Seton Mind Institute in Austin, Texas. Some experience lesser-known signs that are easy to miss if you're not familiar with the condition in all its iterations. Depression affects specific neurotransmitters in the brain that regulate mood and other functions like sleep and appetite. So, if you've been experiencing any of these symptoms, you may want to talk to a counselor or doctor about the possibility that they stem from depression.
1. IrritabilitySometimes, depression looks more like anger than sadness. If you find yourself snappy, cranky, or quick to lash out at others for no apparent reason, this could actually be because you're depressed, Dr. Murthy says.
2. Changes in your sleep patternsYou may think of a depressed person as wanting to sleep all day, and that is one possible manifestation. But another is insomnia or sleep that doesn't leave you feeling refreshed.
3. Changes in eating habitsDepression can work both ways in terms of your diet as well. Depressed individuals might experience a loss of appetite that leads to weight loss or an urge to eat more for emotional reasons, which could lead to weight gain.
4. Trouble concentratingSymptoms that you might think of as characteristic of ADD, like making careless mistakes and forgetting obvious information, might stem from depression instead. Having trouble making very basic decisions, like what size coffee to order at Starbucks, could be another sign.
5. Unexplained painSometimes, patients will go to the doctor with aches and pains that can't be explained for physical reasons, and the real culprit turns out to be depression, Dr. Murthy explains. This may feel like a general achiness throughout the body, while other times, it shows up as back pains or headaches. Either way, physical symptoms should be ruled out before mental health issues are blamed.
Since these issues are interconnected, treating depression often ends up treating multiple symptoms, says Dr. Murthy. The trick is just determining where they're coming from. While not all these problems signify depression for everyone, talking to a professional should help you get to the bottom of it—and feeling better.
