Depression is more commonly recognized in women, and it is likely that the rate for depression among men is underreported at least partly because of gender biases.
Generally speaking, women are raised to be more in touch with their emotions and allowed to express those feelings in a healthy way. In contrast, men are often discouraged from communicating about their feelings and any inner turmoil, which makes it even harder for them to recognize, identify, and cope with challenging emotions.
Understandably, a lack of insight and self-awareness can result in men not realizing when they are facing symptoms of depression rather than, say, anger and aggression. It is important to spot common signs of depression that are easily masked or disregarded as such.
Everyone feels worn-out or depleted from time to time. However, if you’re finding yourself feeling more tired than usual and without a good reason—like staying up late—this is something to monitor. If you believe you’re getting enough sleep and you can’t explain why you’re so exhausted, it could very well be a sign of depression.
If you’ve always been an optimist or at least someone who’s normally easygoing and now you find yourself on edge, more irritable, and even exhibiting angry outbursts that aren’t linked to a specific trigger, there may actually be a different underlying reason. This irritability could indicate depression, especially if it’s paired with other potential symptoms.
Changes in diet and sleep may seem like common symptoms of depression, but sometimes recognizing them in yourself isn’t always so easy. You may be mindlessly eating more than usual or skipping meals and blaming it on being busy. Sleeping more than usual? Maybe you’re used to getting up early on the weekends but now you just want to sleep in late, or perhaps you’re finding it more difficult to get to sleep.
Mind and body are intricately connected, so it’s unsurprising that a brain-based health condition like depression manifests in physical symptoms as well. These can include headaches, back pain, and gut problems, and other aches and pains that aren’t easily explained, are sustained, or aren’t connected to immediately recognizable causes.
Something like brain fog may come on gradually, but if you find yourself having difficulty concentrating or focusing on writing that presentation at work, this could be a signal worth monitoring when it comes to depression. You may just find yourself always searching for the right words when talking or telling a story, something that always came easy for you before. If your thinking feels sluggish, consider it a potential indication of depression.
Originally posted October 3, 2017
The symptom of tiredness is a constant for me. I asked my psychiatrist what meds made me so tired and she listed almost all of them (I take fourteen; eight of them for bipolar disorder. Then I asked about which made me hungry since I’ve gained weight the past year: she said just about all of the ones that make me tired. I’d love to feel energetic again and get that weight off, but I got stuck losing weight and it discouraged me so much I went ahead and ate all the foods I’d been avoiding because of the diet. I missed the carbohydrates I usually depend on to feel good. Yes, I know, food addiction.