Transcription
Depression affects many of us around the globe. According to the World Health Organization, 300 million people of all ages battle with it. Depression is a sneaky mental disorder; it’s difficult to catch during the early stages. Most of us realize we have depression when we are deep in the grips of it. Those with this mental disorder feel hopeless, empty, or sad, fatigued, irritable, and restless. Depression not only takes your motivation away, but it can also cause problems with concentration and decision-making. Those of us with this disorder can act in ways that worsen the situation.
Here's a list of 10 things depression makes you do:
1. **Isolating yourself.** Individuals with depression isolate themselves for different reasons. Some keep to themselves because they feel overwhelmed by socializing, while others believe it's better to be alone. In some cases, the person may feel so much self-hatred that they prefer not to interact with others. Those with severe depression may even stay in their house for weeks.
2. **Being disorganized.** Depression leaves you feeling exhausted, so cleaning a room or home becomes a daunting task. Dirty dishes and clothes start piling up while your garbage overflows. It becomes an even bigger physical challenge to walk around your room because everything is on the floor. Living in a cluttered space leaves you feeling uneasy, but the lack of energy doesn’t help.
3. **Poor hygiene.** Depression zaps all your energy. It's difficult enough to get out of bed, so showering, brushing your teeth, washing your hair, and taking care of your body often go out the window. Those without depression may see this behavior as laziness, but the truth is that showering or changing into clean clothes can be exhausting and painful at times.
4. **Struggling with sleep.** Depression affects your sleep schedule; some of you may stay up and sleep very little. It keeps you awake with intrusive, unwanted thoughts, which may make you feel anxious throughout the night. In other cases, some of you may sleep excessively and still feel unrested.
5. **Catastrophizing every situation.** Depression plays tricks on your mind, making you believe negative things. It can reach a point where you're constantly looking out for bad things to reassure your pessimistic thinking. Every time something bad happens, you use it as evidence to prove how bad life is. This slippery slope makes it difficult to see life in a brighter light.
6. **Terrible eating habits.** Those with depression will either eat too much or hardly anything at all. Some of you may find yourselves in the kitchen eating everything in sight, trying to eat away the emptiness or sadness you're feeling, while others may lack an appetite and even feel disgusted by food. In some cases, some of you may feel so exhausted that the thought of preparing a meal is overwhelming.
7. **Lack of motivation.** Depression steals your interests and desires right from under you. Your favorite pastimes and hobbies no longer satisfy you, and slowly, you find yourself feeling dead and numb inside. If you aren't careful, you'll end up staying in bed all day.
8. **Evading your problems.** Depression by itself is overwhelming; you can feel devastated and out of control most days, so trying to face situations and problems head-on is difficult enough. Instead, you ignore or set the problem aside, which can lead to further trouble as it continues to pile up.
9. **Feeling guilty and experiencing self-hatred.** If you allow depression to take over your thoughts, you’ll most likely feel self-hatred. You’ll continue to talk down to yourself, which often leads to the development of self-esteem issues and a poor self-image. Eventually, you may believe you aren’t worth it anymore. Some people with this mental disorder can even feel guilt, thinking all their problems are their fault.
10. **Living in fear.** People with depression fear that terrible things will happen to them. In severe cases, some of you may sabotage a good situation, believing it will turn bad. Other times, individuals will reject opportunities and stop pursuing their dreams. It’s a twisted way to protect yourself because it prevents you from living and achieving amazing things.
Depression affects us in different ways. The list mentioned in this video contains some of the common behaviors of those with the disorder. Do you agree with these points? What other behaviors have you noticed? Let us know in the comment section below. ❤️