The mind is as important as the rest of the body, and with increasing mental health awareness, conditions like depression are getting the attention they need. Even so, symptoms of mental health conditions may be difficult to identify because they may be confused with general mood swings and or mere sadness. What differentiates depression from such feelings is its severity and duration. So, here are some common and unusual depression symptoms:

Common signs of depression

Persistent feelings of sadness
Everyone experiences phases of extreme sadness and despair, but for those with depression, these feelings are persistent for weeks or even months at a stretch. These feelings are so strong that they overpower all other emotions, distracting the person from all other usual activities.

Extreme feelings of hopelessness
People going through depression often develop an outlook of hopelessness, often pondering over questions about purpose and self-worth. Patients have reported feeling worthless; for them, even daily chores may seem to take up too much effort, making them believe that all the hard work ultimately amounts to nothing.

Loss of interest in hobbies and activities
A tell-tale sign of depression is when individuals lose interest in hobbies or activities that they used to enjoy earlier. As mentioned earlier, many individuals with depression feel a lack of energy to do even the most basic tasks, so they tend to eventually stop trying. The same is the case even with their hobbies and interests.

Withdrawal from people and social situations
Those with clinical depression may become withdrawn from close family members and friends too. They may actively avoid social situations repeatedly and try not to interact with anyone if they can help it. So, they’re often missing from social activities and situations that they used to frequent, leading to further isolation.

Severe fatigue and sleep issues
One of the reasons people with depression stop engaging in activities is that they are typically fatigued and have sleep issues.