A Full Guide on 660 Good Ways to Overcome Different Symptoms of Depression

Depression symptoms can vary from mild to severe and can include:

• Sadness: Most of us feel sadness or depression at times. Sadness is just a normal emotion to the loss or life challenges that can be faded away with time. If the feeling of sadness intensified along with hopelessness, helplessness, and worthlessness – it lasts for many days to weeks, it may be more than sadness. When this sadness is not temporary, you should be aware that the danger of depression may be on the prospect.

“Every man has his secret sorrows which the world knows not, and often we call a man cold when he is only sad.” (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)

• Sleep changes: Every year, there are more than 40 million people in America that suffer from sleep disturbance. Research has shown that sleep problem takes a cost on mental and physical health. When we sleep, the body secretes hormones that affect energy, mood, memory, and concentration.

Many of us do not get enough sleep because of our work and stay awake at night. Those missed sleep led to a sleep deficit that affects concentration, study, and work. They can also cause emotional and mental problems like depression.

• Lack of concentration: Lack of concentration indicates the inability to focus on tasks, attention to work, inability to make decisions. This can be because of various physical or mental issues. Some people may only have trouble focusing at work or school, while others may have trouble focusing when reading or doing other leisurely activities. Your performance at work or school could be affected if you can’t concentrate. You may also find that you can’t think as well, which can affect your decision-making.

Concentration is essential to be successful at work or in sports. With your head and your mindset, everything stands and falls

• Lack of energy: Lack of energy can be stated as tiredness, weariness, lethargy, or fatigue. It can be a normal response to inadequate sleep, stress, lack of exercise, or boredom. Your body is responsible for producing energy stored in a molecule, namely Adenosine triphosphate (ATP). With the increasing demand of lives, most of us stay busy throughout the day and feel a lack of energy and drained.

If you feel a lack of energy, your body is not producing enough ATPs and thus lacks energy cells.

• Work refusal: Work refusal is about denial of doing any work or task. It can be because of anxiety, stress, or depression. Work refusal is common among teenagers but adults also suffer from such kind of stressful situation in which they get involved in refusal of work tasks.

Sometimes, it is common among us to leave everything behind and move away. Work and responsibilities feel like a huge burden, then the work refusal prevailed.

• Loss of interest: Feeling a loss of interest can make it harder to do the things you need to do each day. It can leave you feeling listless, disinterested, and unmotivated to do much of anything at all. Losing interest in everything that you used to love is a sign that something is wrong. It is most likely because you are feeling negative emotions, such as stress, depression, or perhaps even anxiety.
• Social withdrawal: Social withdrawal is avoiding people and activities you would usually enjoy. For some people, this can progress to a point of social isolation, where you may even want to avoid contact with family and close friends and just be by yourself most of the time. This situation may create very important damages in interpersonal relations and socialrelations at an individual level and that may affect the society in general.

In depression, social isolation typically serves to worsen the illness and how we feel. Social withdrawal or isolation can lead to or be associated with depression. Such behavior can also negatively affect those you care about.

• Irritability: Irritability is something we all experience, but what sets it apart from other emotional states is the extent to which it pollutes the emotional atmosphere around us. One person’s irritable mood can release negativity and stress-inducing vibes that negatively impact the entire office, household, or classroom. When we feel irritable we feel on edge, grumpy, cranky, and sour. Our tolerance is lower and we are much more likely to be bothered by the kinds of minor frustrations we ordinarily shrug off. Our reactions to irritants are also likely to be much more aggressive than usual, leading us to snap, bark, and chastise those around us. 

Most people feel irritable from time to time, and some people may become frustrated more easily than others as a result of irritability. Even if there appears to be no source behind the irritability, there generally is a cause, such as dissatisfaction with one’s life or relationship difficulties.

• Negative emotions: Negative emotions can be described as any feeling which causes you to be miserable and sad. These emotions make you dislike yourself and others, and reduce your confidence and self-esteem, and general life satisfaction. Emotions that can become negative are hate, anger, jealousy and sadness. Yet, in the right context, these feelings are completely natural. Negative emotions can dampen our enthusiasm for life, depending on how long we let them affect us and the way we choose to express them.

Negative emotions are impossible to avoid, though. Everyone feels them from time to time. They may be difficult, but we can learn to handle them. Negative thoughts can make you feel sad and anxious. They take the joy out of life-and they can take a toll on your physical health. That’s why it’s so important to learn how to deal with them.

• Weight changes: Generally, during the developmental period, we all are going through various weight changes. Sometimes we gain weight without any intention, and sometimes we started losing weight. Various factors are associated with such changes: daily routine change, work changes, dietary habits, and many more factors. Depression is one of the underlying causes that lead to weight changes in us. People suffering from depressive episodes may appear to face over-weightage and under-weightage issues.
• Appetite disturbance: Appetite is a person’s desire to eat food and drink. It indicates how much food a person want to eat along with the type of food. It is a psychological based impulse rather than biologically based hunger. A person can have an appetite even if there is no feeling of hunger and vice versa.

Studies have shown that people suffering from depression may go through appetite disturbance. It can be low appetite, and high appetite varies from situation to situation or person to person. Whether appetite is low or high, it leads to a disturbance that needs to be catered. The balance in appetite or hunger is necessary to live a happy and comfortable life.                                                     

• Clinginess: The concept of clinginess is a bit hard to define. Some people see clinginess differently; others may see it as an act of care and vice versa. In general terms, clinginess is the anxious attachment one feels towards another and their resulting actions. They desire to be with and receive attention from their partner to feel secure and are overtly emotionally needy.

Attachment can be good or bad, but there is a more negative aspect of attachment: clinginess.  A clingy partner may always want to talk right away or expects an immediate response to a message. The clingy person’s partner may feel like he can’t seem to take a break from being in contact and have healthy boundaries. If they do go for a while without communicating, their partner may think the worst, like they’re possibly cheating or something terrible happened to them. Depression can be a cause of clinginess. A person may feel fear of abandonment, and it may lead to a negative impact on life.

• Drug addiction: When a person is depressed, it can be tempting to relieve depressive symptoms by turning to drugs and/or alcohol. An estimated one-third of people with clinical depression engage in substance abuse as a form of self-medication to relieve feelings of hopelessness, low-self-opinion, and despair. Although these chemical intoxicants may temporarily relieve symptoms, they can also make depression more severe and trigger or intensify the negative feelings and self-destructive behaviors associated with depression.

For those struggling with depression who feel there is no end in sight, drugs and alcohol may sometimes appear to be an easy solution to their problems. These substances can temporarily subside any emotional pain and bring about a sense of happiness. However, these substances can become addictive. The more you consume, the more dependent your body will become on their effects. Over time, substance abuse can exacerbate symptoms of depression as well as lead to health problems like brain damage down the road.

• Suicidal ideation: Suicidal thoughts, or suicide ideation, refers to thinking about or planning suicide. Thoughts can range from creating a detailed plan to having a fleeting consideration. It does not include the final act of suicide. Many people experience suicidal thoughts, especially during times of stress or facing mental or physical health challenges.

Suicidal thoughts are a symptom of an underlying problem such as depression. Most people who have suicidal thoughts do not make suicide attempts, but suicidal thoughts are considered a risk factor. During 2008–09, an estimated 8.3 million adults aged 18 and over in the United States, or 3.7% of the adult U.S. population, reported having suicidal thoughts in the previous year. An estimated 2.2 million in the U.S. reported having made suicide plans in 2014. Suicidal thoughts are also common among teenagers. If you feel frustrated from your life stressors and think about self-harming, the article will help you deal with such suicidal ideations.

• Psychomotor impairment: Psychomotor refers to the connections made between mental and muscle functions. Psychomotor impairment occurs when there’s a disruption with these connections. It affects the way you move, talk, and other regular activities.

Mental tension and other psychological disorders can be a cause of psychomotor impairment. Depression or anxiety may also lead to psychomotor impairment. It may involve the dysfunctioning of muscles and speech problem that affects the daily functioning of life. Studies show that impairment can be prevalent in adults and teenagers as well.

• Anhedonia: People who experience anhedonia have lost interest in activities they used to enjoy and have a decreased ability to feel pleasure. It’s a core symptom of major depressive disorder, but it can also be a symptom of other mental health disorders. Some people who experience anhedonia don’t have a mental disorder.

Social anhedonia is a disinterest in social contact and a lack of pleasure in social situations. Physical anhedonia is an inability to feel tactile pleasures such as eating, touching, or sex. It’s also worth noting that some scientists believe anhedonia isn’t always a black-and-white issue. You might feel no joy at all, or you could find that your positive emotions are dulled. In other words, it’s possible to still like eating chocolate ice cream or listening to jazz; you just don’t like those things nearly as much as you used to for reasons you can’t explain.

• Hypersomnia: Hypersomnia is a condition in which you feel excessive sleepiness during the day. It may occur even after long stretches of sleep. Another name for hypersomnia is excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). It can be a primary condition or a secondary condition. Hypersomniais characterized by recurrent episodes of excessive daytime sleepiness or prolonged nighttime sleep. People with hypersomnia can be irresistibly drawn to napping repeatedly throughout the day, sometimes at the most inappropriate, inconvenient or even dangerous times. When driving, for instance.
• Less sexual desire: Sexual desire, or “libido,” is an important part of most romantic relationships. When sexual desire fades, or disappears completely, it can impact your quality of life and your relationship with your partner. For most people, sexual desire fluctuates over time. It’s natural to go through phases when you don’t crave sex as much. But, if your libido has been low for an extended time, and if it’s causing you stress or sadness, it might be time to consult.

People with depression also have decreased energy, feel badly about themselves and might view their partners through a negative filter, all of which impacts sex drive.

• Chronic pain: At some time in our lives we will all experience pain; physical and/or emotional discomfort caused by illness, injury, or an upsetting event. Though most of us would rather avoid it, pain does serve an actual purpose that is good and seen as protective. For example, when you experience pain your brain signals you to stop doing whatever is causing the pain, preventing further harm to your body. Pain, however, is not meant to last for a long time. Pain that typically lasts less than 3 to 6 months is called acute pain, which is the form of pain most of us experience. For some people, pain can be ongoing or go away and then come back, lasting beyond the usual course of 3 to 6 months and negatively affecting a person’s well-being. This is called chronic pain or persistent pain. Put simply, chronic or persistent pain is pain that continues when it should not.

Chronic pain is often associated with other health conditions such as anxiety and depression, resulting in a low health-related quality of life.

• Feelings of being misunderstood: Being misunderstood is painful.  It can leave you feeling helpless, shameful, impatient, and angry, especially at the person you want to share with.  Most of us experience this on a weekly, if not daily, basis.  You know that feeling when looking into the eyes of another person and seeing the look of utter confusion, or worse.  Often this leads to a deep sense of hurt, resentment, and ultimately loneliness.

We all have an innate desire to be understood, a human need.   We want to share our feelings, thoughts, and perspectives with the people closest to us in an overwhelming world. There is also the desire for emotional release and validation.  When we feel a lack of understanding, disconnection grows.  We tend to push people away while needed to understand and confuse and scare them and us at the same time. 

• Guilt: Guilt is assumed as the negative feelings we have about ourselves. It can be any form of self-rejection, hatred, feeling worthless, sinful, incompetence, or inferior to others. It is a feeling people have after doing something wrong, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Guilt is not considered as bad. But sometimes, the feeling of guilt exceeds the limit and can lead people to depression. It cannot be so easy to combat guilt when it is associated with depression.

It is easy for most of us to focus on the negative phase of life rather than the positive. If you are the one having some kind of guilt about something.

• Low self-esteem: Self-esteem, also known as self-worth or self-respect, is the opinion people have of themselves. In psychology, your self-esteem is used to describe your sense of self-worth or personal value. Low self-esteem and pessimism can make it difficult to accept responsibility and constructive criticism, which can hinder you from opportunities and also prevent you from taking on new challenges; consequently, blocking you from having fulfilling experiences in life. It can also ruin important relationships.

Low self-esteem, which affects our emotions, our thoughts, and behavior, as well as displays how we perceive and connect to ourselves and others, can occur for many reasons, including disapproval from people you value, putting your self-worth in circumstances that are out of your control, which when they don’t go the way you want causes you to feel like a failure, and some mental disorders, such as borderline personality disorder and depression.

• Low self-confidence: Confidence can be a tough thing to build up. We’ve put together some handy tips to help you out. If you’re still having a hard time even after trying these self-help ideas, don’t worry! We’ve also listed the ways you can find extra support and work on boosting your confidence with the help of others. Confidence comes from feelings of well-being, acceptance of your body and mind and belief in your own ability, skills and experience. Confidence is an attribute that most people would like to possess.

Someone who lacks self-confidence, however, is less likely to feel that they can achieve their goals, and tends to have a negative perspective about themselves and what they hope to gain in life. The good news is that self-confidence is something you can improve!

According to APA, Depression affects an estimated one in 15 adults (6.7%) in any given year. And one in six people (16.6%) will experience depression at some time in their life. Depression can occur at any time, but on average, first appears during the late teens to mid-20s. Women are more likely than men to experience depression. Some studies show that one-third of women will experience a major depressive episode in their lifetime. There is a high degree of heritability (approximately 40%) when first-degree relatives (parents/children/siblings) have depression.