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| Depression is often underrated by today's society. In many Christian circles it is treated as purely a sin problem. Sometimes this is the case, but sometimes it is a chemical imbalance in the brain. Listed below are some symtpoms of depression. **Disclaimer** I am not a licensed psychologist or anything else. I'm just a teenager who happened to take some counseling classes at school. Please consult a trained professional before doing anything drastic. |
| Below are the Five Warning Signs of Depression, along with many, more specific symptoms. Anyone can exhibit some of the symptoms and not be depressed. The clue is to look for symptoms that were not present previously. For instance, anyone can be shy and sort of a loner without being depressed. And many people who are not depressed find the morning to be the wrost part of the day. The thing to look for would be several of the symptoms being uncharacteristic to the person. |
| Five Warning Signs 1. Moodiness --> sadness, crying, downcast 2. Painful Thinking --> self-accusing, self-criticizing 3. Anxiety --> irritable, stressed 4. Physical Symptoms --> headache, over/under eating, dry mouth etc. 5. Delusional thinking --> the line between fantasy and reality becomes blurred |
| Other symptoms may include... pessimism worry low energy/weariness sadness feelings of worthlessness feelings of hopelessness feelings of helplessness feelings of confusion feelings of extreme guilt despondancy/unresponsiveness inability to concentrate attention turned totally inward decrease or increase in appetite insomnia increase in sleep neck/back ache indigestion rapid/irregular heartbeat unlempt appearance |
general apathy loss of humor lots of crying spells lack of motivation irritability menstruel cycle stops (in females) isolation become clingy lack of enjoyment in life bitterness/anger/resentment hypochondria paralysis of the will (they lose the ability to make good decisions) poor circulation belief that the morning is the worst part of the day feeling unloved difficulty in remembering good times in the past |
| Recovery 1. Accept responsibilty for your recovery 2. Thank God daily. Even if for something small. 3. Monitor your thinking. (think only good thoughts) 4. Purge anger daily, don't seek revenge. 5. Talk with family/friends about personal things. 6. Choose constructive behaviors. Do something nice for someone else. 7. Practice assertiveness. 8. Work at a daily routine that brings productivity and satisfaction. 9. Accept your human-ness and God's grace. 10. Learn to laugh. :) 11. Seek professional help. |