HEALTH

Depression can take many forms and affects individuals differently. Sometimes it can just sneak up on you and you won’t even realize that you’re depressed. You want to make sure you can identify these sneaky signals before you fall into a slump that’s hard to get out of. Here are six questions to ask yourself to check your mental health.

1. Are you sleeping?
Change in sleeping patterns can be a huge sign that something is wrong. If you once slept well through the night but now you toss and turn and can’t get a good night’s rest, you might be depressed. Alternately, if you are sleeping very often and always crave sleep even when you’ve had your eight hours, you might want to talk to your doc.

2. Are you agitated often?
Are small thing bothering you or easily irritating you? Quick changes in mood could mean that you’re suffering from depression.

3. Are you eating?
You usually enjoy meals and look forward to eating but now you’re hardly hungry. Losing your appetite completely or only wanting to eat small portions here and there can be a sign that your sadness is deeper than you think. 

4. Don’t care how you look?
Outer beauty is definitely not the most important thing in the world but if you’re showering less and never take the time to do your hair or pick out a cute outfit you love, there may be a bigger issue creeping up on you and you didn’t even notice.

5. Are you constantly daydreaming?
Daydreaming is perfectly normal and it’s great. You might be thinking about your goals and aspirations or maybe just that cute boy in social studies class. However, if you’re constantly daydreaming, it might be because you’re unhappy with your reality and are trying to escape.

6. Is your head or stomach frequently hurting?
You might think those frequent headaches are from some other cause but it could actually be a sign that you’re depressed. Depression can cause the body to be more sensitive to pain and to experience pain in certain areas more frequently than usual.

If you’re experiencing several of these symptoms simultaneously, then you may want to talk to someone you trust about what you have been feeling. Depression is more common than you think and it is okay (and actually encouraged!) to get helpp. Don’t let depression stop you from living your best life.

Are you experiencing any of these sneaky depression symptoms?

by Lauren McMillan | 10/6/2017