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Feelings of hopelessness and pessimism

Having a generally pessimistic outlook can feel like a safe approach to an uncertain world: you might feel “At least that way I won’t be disappointed”. However, depression thrives on this negative attitude, increasingly robbing you of hope and leaving its characteristic empty feeling instead.

Feelings of worthlessness, guilt and helplessness

Depression thrives on opportunities for harsh self-judgement and feelings of worthlessness and helplessness. You might wrongly blame yourself for experiences like being badly treated or failing to meet unrealistic standards, which can lead to corrosive and unhelpful guilt. And although there are uncertainties in life that cannot be controlled, many cultures put pressure on us to demonstrate total control. This can leave you vulnerable to a general feeling of helplessness that depression feeds on and perpetuates.

Thoughts of death or suicide

Death is one of the most profound issues facing humankind, and it’s natural that to contemplate it on occasion. But the excessive negativity caused by depression can lead to repetitive, unhelpful dwelling on death. Depression also reduces your problem-solving abilities and causes increasing tunnel vision, making suicide seem like a solution.

Restlessness

Do you find it hard to settle down to a task, or sit still for any length of time? Some people are naturally energetic, but depression can bring a troubling restlessness and inability to focus. Being constantly keyed up and over-alert is very draining, which in turn decreases resistance to depression.

Irregular sleep

It’s very common for depression to affect your sleep, leading to insomnia and sleep disruptions like early waking. Sometimes there’s a pattern of excessive sleep. Regular, sound sleep is essential for healthy functioning and sleep disruption is a particularly debilitating weapon in depression’s arsenal.

Decreased energy

Do you often feel unable to get up at the usual time? Are you too lethargic to complete routine everyday tasks? Or do you find yourself less able to maintain your usual activity levels? Depression may be sapping your energy and taking root as you succumb to lethargy.

Changes in mood

Do you find yourself saying “I can’t be bothered,” or “What’s the point?” about things you used to find interesting or engaging? Depression thrives on cynical or bored attitudes to life, and generates a sense of meaninglessness. This can include loss of sexual interest, which can create strain in relationships, in turn allowing more room for depression.

Insomnia

Depressed thinking and anxiety can make your mind feel like it’s on overdrive, keeping you up all night when your body wants to sleep. The resulting loss of energy and concentration amplifies depression’s tunnel vision effect, making rational thought and decision making ever more difficult.

Difficuly making decisions

Some call depression a problem of disordered thinking, with automatically negative thoughts crowding your mind. Poor concentration or difficulty making decisions can be due to suppressing unpleasant thoughts or may show that you need to address the thinking habits that are allowing depression a foothold.

Appetite and weight loss

Regular healthy eating is essential for your general well-being. Both loss of appetite and weight loss, and overeating and weight gain, can be signs that depression is interfering with the eating habits essential to maintain your healthy mood levels.

Persistent, sad, anxious or empty mood

Everyone feels sad sometimes, has an anxious moment, or has a day when things feel a bit empty or low. However, when depression invades it seems to keep you feeling persistently sad, low, anxious or empty. Some people feel a combination of these four feelings. Others feel predominantly one of them.

Tearfulness

Crying serves a very useful purpose: stress hormones are released through tears. However, if you find yourself crying much more than usual for no clear reasons it may be a sign that depression is at work.