Depression is often characterized like the sad donkey in Winnie the Pooh, Eeyore. Down in the dumps, lack of energy, tired all of the time, chronically pessimistic, and lacking in hope is how most people perceive depression. Depression isn’t always that obvious. Sometimes the symptoms of depression are hiding in plain sight and aren’t the typical symptoms you might expect.
Chronic Pain
Aches, pains, and more aches- these can be signs of depression. As a mental illness, depression lives inside the mind. However, depression also affects the body. Feeling sensitive to pain might not be something happening in the body but something happening in the brain being experienced by the body.
Weight Gain
Depression can sometimes be caused by an inactive thyroid, referred to as hypothyroidism. When the thyroid slows down, it slows down the production of hormones which help regulate weight. Weight gain can lead to a lack of energy and motivation which can be exhausting and frustrating, worsening the experience of depression.
Weight Loss
Depression can cause a lack of motion and energy as well as a lack of appetite. Muscular atrophy, lots of sleeping, and little eating, all contribute to a loss of weight. Generally, any sudden and severe fluctuation in weight, energy, and motivation to be physical are signs of depression.
High Emotions
Inside the brain of someone with depression is a sizzling stir fry of emotions struggling to make sense of themselves. Feeling overloaded with emotion leaves someone feeling very sensitive. As a result, they are more aggressive, sensitive, sad, or emotional in general. Anything can set off someone with depression to either get angry or to fall to tears.
Feelings Of Numbness
Depression of the numbing variety can be described as a black hole in which someone is floating, but isn’t really worried that they’re floating in a black hole, because they can’t bring themselves to care. Famous songs have described depression as being ‘comfortably numb’ and as experiences where someone cannot feel anything. While on the one hand, depression can feel like feeling too much, depression can also feel like feeling nothing at all.
If you are struggling with depression and have found yourself turning to drugs and alcohol, you are not alone. Lakehouse Recovery Center offers residential treatment programs for dual diagnosis of depression and substance use disorder. For information on our programs which are helping clients heal and learn how to have fun again, call us today: 877.762.3707