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Hey Psych2Goers, have you ever gone through a period of time where you just felt so sad and gloomy all the time?
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It's normal to get upset, lonely, or depressed when we face certain life-changing events in our lives.
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However, when these symptoms become persistent and overwhelming and start to affect your daily routine,
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it can start to deter you from leading a normal, healthy life.
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While you may think people with depression all cry and feel sad all the time, that's not necessarily the case.
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Different people may exhibit different symptoms.
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So, to look into the ways depression can manifest itself in people's behaviors and moods, here are 10 ways depression appears in us.
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But before we begin, we would like to mention that this video is created for educational purposes only and is not intended to substitute a professional diagnosis.
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If you suspect you may have depression or any mental health condition, we highly advise you to seek help from a qualified mental health professional.
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Okay, let's begin.
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1. depressed mood nearly every day.
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Have you ever noticed a drastic change in your loved one's behavior and mood?
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Perhaps they used to be really happy and cheerful but have become more tearful and gloomy nowadays.
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The feeling of sadness, emptiness, and hopelessness is one of the diagnostic criteria listed in the DSM-5.
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People who experience such a low mood nearly every day for two weeks or more would be classified as having major depression.
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2. diminished interest or pleasure in all or almost all activities.
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Have you ever had a friend who started avoiding the hobbies or activities you used to enjoy doing together?
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If so, they may be experiencing anhedonia.
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This is the experience of a sudden loss of interest or pleasure in activities that they previously enjoyed.
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Anhedonia is also one of the telling signs of depression.
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3. significant weight loss or weight gain.
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Have you noticed that your friend has lost a significant amount of weight since the last time you saw them?
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There could be a chance that they might be experiencing depression.
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Depression can affect a person's eating pattern, causing them to either lose or gain significant weight.
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You might wonder how much weight change would be considered concerning?
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Well, according to one of the criteria of major depressive disorders in the DSM-5, a weight change of more than 5% in a month is significant.
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4. decrease or increase in appetite nearly every day.
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Have you started to notice that your loved one has lost their appetite?
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According to Dr. Gary Kennedy, the director of geriatric psychiatry at the Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, New York,
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people with depression lose both energy and interest, and this includes a loss of interest in eating.
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They may lose interest in cooking or lack the energy to prepare meals.
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At the same time, nausea is also a symptom of depression and may be a cause for loss of appetite as well.
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Similarly, Debra Jay Johnston, who works at an eating disorder treatment center in Wickenburg, Arizona,
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stated that depression can also result in emotional eating, a common event in which the need to eat is not associated with physical hunger, but a response to emotional hunger.
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When patients eat in response to their emotions, they are soothed by the food as it changes the chemical balance in the brain.
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It produces a feeling of fullness that is more comfortable than an empty stomach and may help improve their mood through positive association with happier times.
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5. insomnia or hypersomnia.
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Do they have trouble falling asleep?
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Despite being tired, they may still find it difficult to fall and remain asleep.
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This is a condition known as insomnia.
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On the other hand, they might also find themselves sleeping excessively throughout the day, which is a condition known as hypersomnia.
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Both hypersomnia and insomnia are sleep disorders that are characterized by the disruption of normal sleep patterns and it may be a symptom of depression.
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6. psychomotor agitation or retardation.
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Sometimes, depression can also manifest itself in the slowing or loss of spontaneous movement.
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Perhaps they started to have a lifeless complexion or have no emotional expression.
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This is known as psychomotor retardation.
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On the other hand, there is psychomotor agitation, which is the opposite side of the spectrum.
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This can take many forms and usually involves repetitive purposeless or unintentional movements and behaviors.
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7. fatigue or loss in energy.
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Are they tired all the time?
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Depression can make a person feel constantly fatigued and low in energy.
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This tiredness and exhaustion may cause them to cancel all of their plans with their friends and to stay in bed all day.
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8. feelings of worthlessness, excessive, or inappropriate guilt.
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How do they feel about themselves?
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A person who is experiencing depression might feel worthless or experience an excessive or inappropriate amount of guilt.
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They might be overcritical and internally belittle themselves whenever they fail to complete a task or reach their own expectations.
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This in turn may further lower their self-esteem and worsen their symptoms of depression.
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9. diminished ability to think and concentrate.
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Do they seem to have trouble focusing?
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Another common symptom of depression is the diminished ability to think and concentrate.
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With the many negative thoughts in their head, it may end up feeling like a kind of internal noise that disrupts and worsens their thinking and concentration.
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This may end up affecting their ability to complete tasks or make it a struggle to do assignments and work.
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And 10. recurrent thoughts of death or suicidal ideation.
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Sometimes, depression that goes unaddressed or worsens in time leads to thoughts of suicide.
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People who are severely depressed might think about death and search for methods to end their lives.
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They might say things like "It would be better if I weren't here," or be involved in risky and dangerous behaviors such as driving through red lights.
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If you or someone you know shows any of these warning signs, please call your local suicide hotline,
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contact a mental health professional right away or go to the emergency room.
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Have you noticed these signs in yourself or someone you know?
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Remember to reach out for help if you can and that you're not alone.
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If you found this video helpful, be sure to like, subscribe, and share this video with those who might benefit from it.
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And don't forget to hit the notification bell icon to get notified whenever Psych2Go posts a new video.
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The references and studies used in this video are added in the description below.
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Thanks for watching and we'll see you in our next one.