Mr. Li was admitted to the fifth ward of the psychiatric department of the Third People’s Hospital of Heze City for being emotionally low, having insomnia, and a decline in work ability for a month. After admission, his family members were very puzzled by the diagnosis of “depression” and kept asking the doctor: “We have a good relationship as a couple in daily life, our daughter is also obedient, well-behaved, excels in her studies, and the parents are in good health, without much pressure. How did he suddenly develop depression?”
The questions from Mr. Li’s family members are common in our clinical work. In fact, psychological issues do not occur suddenly, but are the result of accumulation over many years. The early symptoms of depression may include emotional lows, decreased interest, changes in appetite, and many clues remind us to prevent depression in a timely manner.
So, what are the early signs of depression? Today, experts from the Third Hospital of Heze City will explain this to everyone.
01
Feeling low for no reason
Everyone has their moments of unhappiness, but each person’s situation is different. Some unhappiness has specific reasons, but sometimes, some people may often feel unhappy without knowing the reason. That feeling is like being surrounded by a vague fog that one cannot explain, emotions always becoming low uncontrollably but not being able to pinpoint a specific real reason. If this state persists for a long time, one should be cautious. Because the most obvious feature of depression is a low mood, significantly and persistently feeling gloomy.
02
Keeping things to oneself
When in a bad mood, how do you usually cope? There was a patient who, from a young age, not only excelled in academics but also had a very likable personality, always appearing cheerful and optimistic. Occasionally, when feeling down, she would lock herself in her room, sleep for two to three days, then come out looking refreshed as if the previous gloom and unhappiness had never happened. After many years of such behavior, she chose to end her own life by suicide. Family and friends around her could not understand why someone who seemed perfectly normal would suddenly commit suicide. However, often, depression unfolds in this manner. Keeping thoughts to oneself, not expressing them, always dealing with issues in a certain way rather than trying other methods to process negative emotions, over time, could have a greater impact on oneself.
03
Losing interest in many things that used to bring joy
The premise of joy is being able to appreciate the beauty in life. Maintaining some hobbies and interests also means sustaining the ability to experience and explore the external world, which is the source of human vitality. When a person loses interest in everything, has no joy, life’s vitality will dwindle.
04
Always thinking from a pessimistic perspective
Sometimes people fall into an irrational state, always viewing things from a pessimistic perspective regardless of what happens. People who see things this way are like wearing dark glasses, perceiving everything as gloomy and gray. This is a self-inflicted way of making oneself unhappy, it leads to a constant negative attitude towards experiences, feeling hopeless, even desperate, eventually leading to depression.
05
Frequent self-blame and guilt
Some people physically live in the present but emotionally reside in the past, often excessively focusing on their own faults. A depression patient once described her feelings like this: “When I have conflicts with others, I blame myself excessively, as if I have done something particularly embarrassing, always reflecting on why I can’t consider others more?” When a person attributes all responsibilities for every issue to themselves, believing everything is their fault, the inner pressure continues to grow.
06
Becoming more reclusive
Humans need a sense of belonging and other pleasures from interacting with others, but if one constantly feels tired of dealing with people, not knowing how to communicate, it might lead to withdrawing from relationships, gradually isolating oneself, avoiding going out, hiding at home. Such individuals are a high-risk group for depression, and being reclusive is a typical manifestation of depression.
07
Having had or frequently having thoughts of suicide
Suicide is not seen as harm but as liberation to depression patients – a way to break free from suffering. When one has thoughts of suicide, it should raise concerns, and if these thoughts occur frequently, special attention is required as it indicates the depressive symptoms have reached a serious state.
After the doctor explained these situations to Mr. Li’s family, they suddenly realized and recalled: “Now that you mention it, he has been feeling down for many years inexplicably, always gloomy and not talking to me about what’s bothering him. We used to travel together when we had time, but in recent years, he just stayed at home, I thought he was tired and needed rest. I never thought it was depression. Now I understand, these are the early signs of depression.”
How we handle problems determines how problems treat us. By actively resolving issues, we are met with positive energy; while reacting negatively leads to negative emotions. When facing depression, the best way to handle it is to resolve it early. When feeling unhappy, one should deal with it promptly, choose to talk to family or friends to relieve stress, or learn about psychology for self-adjustment. When early signs of depression appear, it must be taken seriously, and timely seek treatment from professional medical institutions.
