10 Symptoms You May Have Depression and Need Medical Help

Even though there are still people who don’t believe it, The problems of Mental Health They are just as serious as those that affect us physically. Indeed, our body needs to be in harmony with all its parts to function properly.

For that, more and more people are talking about it depression an illness that makes the affected person sad and loses all interest or pleasure in leading their life normally. This affects at least 6.2% of the Chilean population, according to figures from the Ministry of Health.

But 15.8% would be in a state of “suspected depression”, and it could be more, because not everyone knows how to recognize the symptoms and establish a diagnosis made by a specialist doctor.

Once depression and its causes are identified (they can be genetic, contextual, environmental or psychological), everything usually goes wrong. Current treatments are quite effective and help is essential to move forward.

In conversation with Infobae, the psychologist Cláritas Psychological Institute of Madrid , Irene Ampuero he precised What can be the symptoms or warning signs that a person might be suffering from depression.

1. You feel something more than melancholy and sadness. As psychologist Ampuero explains, melancholy and sadness are “emotional states” that can be transient (they have a beginning and an end), while depression is a disorder that has underlying factors, such as family history, pessimistic thought patterns, long-term problems. , etc.
2. You have difficulty concentrating. Depression can make it more difficult to think clearly and concentrate on daily tasks. Additionally, the person may be “distracted” by negative thoughts or guilt and feel worthless.
3. Your appetite or weight has changed. Depression can have two tendencies: eating less and losing weight, or eating too much and gaining weight. Additionally, it can be accompanied by fatigue and loss of energy, which influences hunger and less physical activity.
4. You feel irritable, agitated, or nervous for no reason. People with depression may be more likely to have angry outbursts or frequently fight with others.
5. You have trouble sleeping. Depression can cause difficulty falling asleep (insomnia) or, conversely, sleeping too much (hypersomnia).
6. Your movements and speech are slower. Although it’s not certain why, doctors believe that low levels of dopamine may play a role in causing a person with depression to act “slower” in cognitive and emotional processes.
7. You tend to isolate yourself socially. Another symptom of depression may be avoiding contact with friends or family and wanting to be alone more. In severe cases, this is usually when suicidal thoughts or attempts appear.
8. You don’t feel pleasure. Anhedonia “is the inability to feel pleasure in activities performed”, such as doing things without desire or, quite simply, not having the motivation to do them. “The marked presence of anhedonia is an indicator of severity,” underlined psychiatrist Alejandra Gómez to the same media.
9. You have low sexual desire. Consistent with the above, depression may prevent the person from directing one’s attention to activities that the person previously considered rewarding. This is usually a symptom in itself if it lasts more than two weeks.
10. You feel pain. When the body is stressed, muscles tense and can cause pain, such as tension headaches or general discomfort in the arms, legs, etc.

Medical advice is that if at least five of the above symptoms appear or simply in case of doubt, It is best to seek medical consultation from a specialist, since diagnosis and treatment are personalized for each patient.

If you need help or have questions about mental health, you can contact Salud Responde at 600 360 77 77.