9 signs that your sadness could actually be a depression

We all have a bad day or a dip, which is very normal. But if that gloom persists for a long time, there may be more to it. How do you recognize that? We list nine signs that your sadness may actually be depression.

These nine signs are just some of the signs of depression. If you feel depressed or depressed, see a doctor. He or she can make the correct diagnosis and provide you with the help you need.

1. Your gloom arises for no apparent cause

Sometimes you just have a bad day. Arguing with a colleague, getting wet while walking the dog, bumping your toe .. “It is normal to feel sad now and then, for example because something has disappointed you,” psychotherapist Marline Francois tells Bustle. But if that sadness suddenly arises without a clear external cause, it could indicate a depression. If you know exactly what the cause is, according to Francois it is usually ‘just a dip’.

2. You can ‘no longer handle’ your own thoughts

If you suffer from depression you know what it is and you usually see that it will decrease again in a few days, this is not the case with depression. The feelings often feel overwhelming; you sometimes have the feeling that you can no longer handle your own thoughts. Marline Francois says that “sadness is a symptom of depression, but depression affects your entire emotional system.”

3. You have trouble with your daily tasks

Work, cleaning the house, cooking dinner: when you are depressed you can usually still do it, but with a depression it often becomes difficult to keep doing all your daily tasks. In addition, it brings along a lot of other complaints in addition to gloominess. Think of insomnia or extreme fatigue, and loss or increase of hunger.

4. You prefer to be alone all day

In times of gloom, you often want to see or see your friends or family. In fact, you can sometimes knock on their door to cheer you up. Depression is slightly different, therapist Julienne Derichs explains to Bustle. People with depression often isolate themselves for a variety of reasons. Maybe they don’t want to share their problems or they don’t have the energy to see others. And that immediately has a negative effect: people who are lonely have a greater chance of depression.

5. The gloom is not related to a date or reminder

Of course you can feel (sometimes very) sad on a special but sad day. For example, if your mother died three years ago, it was actually your grandfather’s birthday or it is another special day. It is also not surprising at all to feel a bit down around the holidays, says therapist Derichs. But if that gloom persists after such events, it could indicate a depression.

6. Your gloom persists for a longer period of time

Although we all have a bad day or week in which we are gloomy, that feeling often disappears on its own. For example through a nice walk or a good conversation. However, the gloom associated with depression does not disappear by itself, according to Derichs. One of the symptoms of depression is sadness that lasts for more than two weeks, so it is wise to see a doctor.

7. You can’t think about anything else anymore

Can’t you think about anything other than that gloomy feeling you have? Then that can also indicate a depression. A study published in 2020 in Progress in Neuro-Pharmacology & Biological Psychiatry shows that many people with this mental illness are constantly preoccupied with their feelings of depression. Not because they want to, but because the brain can only think about that gloomy, hopeless feeling through changes.

8. You can’t cheer yourself up the way you otherwise could

Sometimes you want nothing more than to just spend a day in bed and eat comfort food. If that helps to ease your gloom, then of course it’s not a problem. But those coping mechanisms usually don’t help people with depression. Psychologist Joshua Klapow says that a loss of interest in fun things, constant fatigue, sleeping problems and a feeling of hopelessness, in addition to the well-known sadness, are also associated with depression. Not problems you can solve by spending the day in bed, he emphasizes. In fact, spending whole days in bed can actually be a sign of depression.

9. Others also see that ‘something is wrong’

Some people can mask their feelings well, but with a depression that is usually not possible, according to therapist Autumn Collier. Friends or family often notice that something is wrong, your colleagues notice that you are not doing your work as usual, you lose weight or gain weight, you suddenly stay at home a lot. Usually it is not a good sign if your environment notices your gloom as well; then you may have depression. Time to make an appointment with the doctor, so.