Depression is on the rise because we don’t know how to see the subtle symptoms in the people we love.

Since the beginning of this century, a lot of things we never knew about mental health have surfaced and flooded people’s awareness scope all over the world. The way modern society functions has highlighted the deeper mental issues we neglected.

Now it’s much easier to explain certain conditions and states of mind that weren’t understood before. However, the continued awareness of various negative states of mind is a resolute assignment that all of us must carry out at all times.

One of such ‘states of mind’ is depression. In the developed countries like Canada, Australia, USA, there have been surges in depression rates among people of various age groups, social levels and ethnicities.

Knowing the warning signs of depression and catching them early in people around you could help to save many lives and keep families, communities and societies at large, stable. We should know these symptoms if we want to be able to help others.

Before we look at the different warning flags for depression, we would try to discuss a very important question, why do people get depressed? There are some reasons that are usually the starting cause for most of the cases for depression.

3 Reasons Why Most People Get Depressed:

Life sometimes is a maze full of good and bad moments, peaks and valleys. What often makes the difference is how people respond to these things.

1. Failed confidence.

Some people get depressed because certain stuff they put their trust in disappointed them. It could be anything, from a friend that promised to help you with an essay by saying ‘we’ll dig this essayontime‘ and left you hanging, making you fail an important assessment, to having your date canceled. When the things or people that we trust disappoint, there is a bigger tendency to get depressed.

2. Low self esteem.

This is a very common reason in a society that places certain standards on how people should look, dress, or even smile. It affects young people, especially females. Their inability to have a slim waist of curvy hips or full lips often upsets them. Instead of focusing on how they could improve their current bodies, they get caught up in a whirlwind of wishing and lamenting on their ‘dream body’. In the long run, they become depressed.

3. Abuse.

Different categories of abuse, sexual, emotional, or verbal, are known to have a profound effect on the affected individuals. If these effects are not dealt with appropriately, they could cannonball into a vicious cycle of depression and self pity.

Having looked at the most common reasons why people grapple with depression, let’s go on to warning flags. If depression symptoms are caught in time it can be much easier to deal with it before it becomes more serious. So how do you know that a colleague or a loved one is on the verge of being depressed?

Here Are The 4 Most Common Symptoms Of Depression:

1. Loss of appetite.

For some unknown reason, you notice that the individual doesn’t eat as they used to, it could be an appropriate time to immediately make contact and ask if they are okay.

2. Sleep disturbance.

Maybe initially you slept like a baby every single night, but now you seem restless and find it difficult to sleep or drift off like you used to. It now takes extra efforts for you to go to bed or get some shuteye because your mind is constantly whirring with thoughts. If you see this in anyone, be it a friend or relative, advise them to seek help immediately.

3. Having muscle and back pain.

One just notices that their joints feel stiff and muscles feel sore, be sure to ascertain the exact cause of the pains, especially if the person never works very hard. Sometimes the person in question can be on the verge of a serious state of mind.

4. Negative statements.

This is perhaps one of the most popular signs that people at the early stages of depression can run into. For an unknown reason, people suddenly lose the will to live and keep referring to themselves in what can be termed as “dangerous” sentences. Statements like “I’m no good”, “I’m no use”, or “I’m useless” should never be disregarded with levity, especially among people who are close to you. They could be cries for help that you should decipher.

Individuals should always be encouraged to have themselves checked occasionally to assess their risks of getting depressed. It will help save peoples’ lives and make them confident contributors to their society.