People with depression and mental health issues know how to hide from the world. Learn more about the five ways depression is disguised and how to spot them.
Depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems are growing each day. Access to information is helpful but also harmful if someone doesn’t know how to deal with it. Depression sometimes comes from comparing ourselves to others, primarily through social media, but sometimes it’s more than that. Depression and anxiety could come from an imbalance of chemicals in the brain. Learn the five ways depression is disguised and how to spot them.
Appetite Loss
One of the clear signs of depression is the loss of appetite. It is hard sometimes to realize when someone is not eating or eating poorly unless everyone sits down at the table to eat at the same time. You can detect if your kids or someone close to you is now eating well with weight loss. It might take some time to realize that someone is losing weight, but you need to pay special attention and not comment about food.
Sleeping Habits
A quick remedy for depression and anxiety is sleeping; this takes away all the pain for a while and gives a sense of partial relief. If you notice someone in your household is sleeping more than usual or taking random naps during the day, this could be a sign of depression. There is a difference between resting to regain energy and resting to forget. If the person still looks tired and lacks energy after a nap, this is a sign of depression.
Alcohol Abuse
Like sleeping, alcohol can take away pain for a while, but it creates more problems. It is not uncommon for some people to have a glass of wine or a cocktail every day; this doesn’t mean they’re abusing alcohol but it’s important to keep an eye on. This action contributes to the most common mental health issues among successful entrepreneurs and could lead to severe damage and problems in the future.
Lack of Concentration
One thing leads to another; lack of concentration comes from a lack of energy and an appetite disorder. People with depression lose interest in what you have to say to them; some will disguise the lack of interest with a smile but will forget what you said within five minutes. If someone’s interest and concentration change drastically, it could be depression in disguise.
Angry or Irritable
A simple way to disguise depression is with anger; anger is the perfect excuse for someone to be alone and for others not to talk to that person. Unless there is an apparent reason for a person to get upset, mood swings like this are very common amongst depressed people. Analyze a situation on why a person might be feeling angry, and if there is no apparent reason, it is best to seek help.
