Malaise In The Mind: 3 Seemingly Innocuous Signs Of Depression

When you start to notice that you're exhibiting signs of a less-than-healthy body, most people will rush to the doctor's office for a checkup, wanting to know what's wrong and how soon it can be fixed. But for mental health issues – especially depression – your symptoms can be harder to isolate and identify, which prevents you from getting the help you need at the earliest possible time. So if you're noticing that your health has been slightly off lately but you haven't gone in to the doctor to check for physical signs of depression (for whatever reason), then here are a few tip offs that might push you into scheduling a clinic visit.

Sleep, Sleep, Sleep

Everyone needs sleep, right? And during times of stress you may need more sleep than usual – but if you're noticing that you can never seem to get enough sleep, then you may have a problem. People with depression can sleep for enormous amounts of time – far more than the recommended 8-10 hours at a stretch – and yet still feel completely exhausted. This condition is called hypersomnia and occurs often in depressive patients; the opposite condition – insomnia – can also be indicative of depression, so if you find yourself sleeping too much or not at all – and especially if you vacillate between the two – it may be time to see your doctor.

Pain in the Head

Headaches are a common enough ailment, especially if your job or school or hobbies require you to stare at a screen or focus closely on a manual task for a long period of time. But if you're noticing that you're popping aspirin for a headache nearly every day, it could be a sign of depression. This is especially true for migraine sufferers; studies have shown that as many as 40% of migraine sufferers also suffer from depression. While painkillers may dull the ache for a little while, if your headaches and or migraines are related to depression, the over-the-counter pain medicine certainly won't cure you.

No Appetite 

Sometimes you just won't feel as hungry as you normally do, particularly if you're stressed or heavily invested in a project. But if you find that even the thought of food turns your stomach enough that you just won't eat, it may be a sign of depression. If you feel like eating but your stomach rejects everything you put in it, that could also be a sign of depression; digestive problems are more common among depression sufferers. If it's been a while since your eating habits were somewhere in the realm of normal, you may want to pay a visit to your doctor sooner rather than later.

For more information, contact local professionals like Kids First Pediatrics Of Fayetteville.