You just feel a bit adrift.ĭifficulty concentrating is another very common symptom of depression that few people recognize and one that can compound the problem of restlessness. You don’t feel a sense of reward for your normal activities and you don’t feel as driven or goal-oriented as usual. You do something you normally enjoy but it’s somehow unsatisfying and so you try something else and get the same result. Restlessness is often a harbinger of anhedonia-the loss of the ability to feel pleasure. You may even notice that you’re behaving more aggressively, perhaps by driving more aggressively or getting into arguments or fights. You may find you’re annoyed by little things, that people get on your nerves, that you lose your temper more easily lately, or that routine tasks are suddenly more frustrating.
Irritability is simultaneously one of the most common symptoms of depression and one of the least recognized symptoms. This often shows up as irritability and restlessness. You feel like your thoughts and mood are out of synch with your actions and environment. At first, you’re more likely to just feel like something is off, perhaps in ways you can’t really describe. It looks different from the crushing despair or fatigue you might have felt in the depths of a previous episode.
When an episode of depression is approaching, you probably won’t recognize it right away.
Be aware of the anniversary effect as well as any kind of stress that you are particularly sensitive to. Holidays can be difficult already, and they can be even more stressful if they are your first holiday without a loved one. While seasonal patterns are common triggers for a depressive episode, you may also have patterns that are more specific to you.įor example, anniversaries are often tough for people who lost a loved one through a breakup, divorce, or death. Winter SAD is typically treated with light therapy, which entails sitting in front of a full-spectrum light for half an hour to an hour in the morning to help correct the disruption in your circadian rhythm. Typically, the approach of winter is worse for precipitating depressive symptoms but some people experience summer SAD too. For example, many people with a history of depression are vulnerable to the seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. While someone with no history of depression might dismiss some of them as a bad mood, you should definitely pay attention and take action.įirst, it helps to know your patterns. Keep in mind that although these are common depressive symptoms, you don’t want to wait for them to get severe before you act. The following may be early warning signs of a depressive episode. However, there is also research suggesting that if you catch the symptoms of an encroaching relapse early, you can limit the severity of the episode and perhaps even prevent it.
Research shows that about half of people who have an episode of major depression will have at least one more episode at some point in their lives and if you have had two episodes, your risk of another episode rises to 80 percent. Unfortunately, if you have had an episode of major depression, you are likely to have recurring episodes. Depression is one of the most common co-occurring mental health issues among people with substance use disorders and managing depressive symptoms is one of the keys to a strong recovery.
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