When Depression Does Not Only Occur with Sadness

Typically, people associate major depression (which is the diagnostic term), colloquially called “depression,” with the emotion “sadness.” assuming that the depressed person will predominantly express sadness, most of the day, in most areas of their life and with most people around them.

Now, some people feel very confused because someone they know has had suicidal ideation, or has committed suicide, and yet apparently they did not show sadness, because they appeared on their social networks, they seemed to lead a normal life, they smiled, they socialized, etc. This confusion may be due to the simplification made to the assume that if you are not sad and/or you do not express it verbally or non-verbally, you cannot be depressed. This leads to the disbelief and surprise of the people around the depressed person, which aggravates the feeling of incomprehension of the depressed person, who feels isolated, different and little cared for by his or her environment.

The complex relationship between depression and sadness

The person with suicidal ideation, or who takes said ideation into action, always goes through psychological problems that lead to suffering and the appearance of very negative thoughts. In many cases you probably suffer from major depression.

Therefore, it seems important to clarify that depressive symptoms are more complex and a person can suffer from this disorder, presenting more insidious symptoms and not as obvious as sadness, which may be less known but which are part of the criteria to be evaluated when carrying out a diagnosis. diagnosis. The fact that people know this disorder in a little more depth can cause them to act sooner, favoring the understanding and emotional support of the person who suffers from it.

So, beyond sadness, we want to tell you some other depressive symptoms so you can identify them more clearly If you, or someone around you, could be suffering from them:

1. Tendency to take blame for everything that happens around you

Thoughts like “it’s my fault,” “I should have done this, or not done that,” “I’m doing everything wrong,” which are accompanied by a feeling of being guilty, almost constantly. These types of negative thoughts have a frequency and duration that cause discomfort in the person by provoking emotions such as guilt, anger, frustration and even self-hatred.

2. Apathy and anhedonia

That is, lack of interest, motivation and enthusiasm, as well as difficulty enjoying things that were previously enjoyed. The person may be trying to enjoy activities that previously gave them satisfaction without having fun doing them. This causes him to stop doing them, as they do not generate well-being, so he does fewer and fewer activities, and tends to isolate himself.

This makes him enter a loop, since he does not do activities, because they do not satisfy him, and since they do not satisfy him, he becomes increasingly inactive. Therefore, you begin to have thoughts like “there is no point in me doing this, since I don’t feel like it”, “it would be better if I stayed doing nothing”, “I won’t feel better by doing it”, which get into a mess. negative spiral of passivity and inactivity.

3. Important changes in sleep and/or eating

For example, significant modification of the amounts and frequency of food intake, a sudden weight loss or gain, or difficulties initiating or maintaining sleep (insomnia), or on the contrary sleeping excessively (hypersomnia). The fundamental pillars of a person’s well-being are sleep and nutrition, so it is difficult for them to feel good with these pillars disrupted, since the rest of the day-to-day activities and needs are based on them.

4. Irritability and irascibility

That is, a tendency to get angry easily and in a maladjusted way, presenting susceptibility. Anger and rage are frequently present in these people, who feel easily violated and affected. They tend to present thoughts such as “no one understands me”, “others should do this or that”, etc., which produce emotions such as frustration and make them feel misunderstood. Therefore, their reactions can be excessive and their attitude irascible. In the most serious cases, the person may have difficulty expressing emotions, crying. suffering from a certain “emotional sedation”.

To end…

Knowing other symptoms that may indicate that you are depressed, or that someone around you is depressed, will help that person receive help sooner. If you feel identified, do not hesitate to go to a mental health professional.

If you identify someone in your environment, do not judge them or minimize what happens to them. Don’t hesitate to suggest that he receive help and to accompany him if he finds it difficult to take the step. Both the family doctor and mental health specialists (psychiatrist and psychologist) can carry out an appropriate first evaluation, assessing the severity of the symptoms and deciding the next steps to take to intervene. Sometimes psychotherapy is required while on other occasions a combination of pharmacological and psychological treatment is required.

With adequate treatment, the different and complex symptoms of depression will be reduced and the affected person will significantly improve their mental health and quality of life.