Welcome to My World – Unlikely Signs of Depression
Hello World! Today I’m sharing some of the physical symptoms of depression that aren’t your “typical” ones. You may not even think you’re depressed. I’ve battled with this for years, but I’ve never taken a prescription for it. That is probably why I exercise so much. It gets me “out of my moods”; And it has the side benefit of keeping me thin 🙂 … I have no complaints about that side effect. You must admit that it’s way better than the “side effects” of prescription drugs. Don’t you agree with me?
If you aren’t exercising, start. Even light activity is better than none! You’ll also see that exercise gets you “out of your head” & into your body. Your mood improves. It works for me!
Physical Symptoms of Depression
There are obvious signs of depression for you to recognize, like your feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and anxiety–but depression can also cause you unexplained physical symptoms. Your physical pain and depression are closely related. Simply put, pain can be depressing, and depression causes and intensifies pain.
Some research shows that pain and depression share common pathways in the limbic (emotional) region of your brain. In fact, the same chemical messengers control your pain and mood. According to an article published by the Harvard Medical School, people with chronic pain have 3 times the average risk of developing psychiatric symptoms–usually mood or anxiety disorders–and depressed patients have 3 times the average risk of developing chronic pain.
Many people suffering from depression never get help because they don’t realize that your pain may be a symptom of depression. The importance of understanding the physical symptoms of depression is that treating depression can help with your pain–and treating pain can you help with depression.
Headaches.
Headaches and migraine headaches are fairly common in people with
Doing too much? Are you feeling the stress of trying to accomplish too much? Or are you depressed & getting headaches?
depression. If you already had migraine headaches, they may become worse if you’re depressed. The relationship between depression and your migraine headaches, which affect more than 10% of Americans, is very close. One study found that over a 2 year period, a person with a history of major depression was 3 times more likely than average to have a first migraine attack, and a person with a history of migraine was 5 times more likely than average to have a first episode of depression.
Back pain.
If you already suffer with back pain, it may get worse if you become
Do you have back aches? If your depressed, back pain may be worse for you.
depressed. A study from the University of Alberta followed a random sample of nearly 800 adults without neck and low back pain and found that people who suffer from depression are 4 times as likely to develop intense or disabling neck and low back pain than those who are not depressed.
Muscle aches and joint pain.
Depression can make any kind of chronic pain worse for you. According to
Massage feels good; is good for your back & your other aches & pains, & it’s excellent for your stress management… I’m a firm believer in natural remedies..
research published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, arthritis-like physical symptoms may improve if your depression is treated with medication.
Chest pain.
It’s very important to get your chest pain checked out by a doctor right away. It can be a sign of serious heart problems, but chest pain is also associated with depression. A study from the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, indicates several common factors among those affected by chest pain not linked to biomedical factors such as heart disease or some other illness—depression was one of the significant common factors.
Digestive problems.
Your queasiness, nausea, diarrhea and chronic constipation can all stem
Does your anxiety &/or depression manifest itself in your gut?
from depression. Studies show that up to 60% of people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) also have a psychological disorder, most commonly depression or anxiety. According to one study published in General Hospital Psychiatry, those who reported symptoms of nausea were more than 3 times as likely to also have an anxiety disorder, and nearly 1 1/2 times more likely to suffer from depression. Depression is a possible cause for your digestive disorders, and should be investigated before aggressive treatments are begun.
I was told a long time ago by a naturopathy that stress, anxiety and depression manifests itself in your gut. I was having issues at the time so I began taking probiotics and a digestive enzyme with meals, and, the symptoms disappeared.
Exhaustion and fatigue.
No matter how much you sleep, do you still feel tired and exhausted?
Depressed or Stressed? so many reasons for your having these feeling, and lack of sleep & activity doesn’t help you.
Fatigue and depression are not a surprising pair. Your depression and fatigue feed off each other in a vicious cycle that makes it hard to know where one begins and the other ends. Researchers have found people who are depressed are more than 4 times as likely to develop unexplained fatigue, and those of you who suffer from fatigue are nearly 3 times as likely to become depressed.
Sleep disturbances.
People with depression often have difficulty falling asleep, or awaken in
Do you sometimes feel anxious or depressed? Or do you have the joy of sleeping like a baby? Strength training may help you sleep better.
the early hours of the morning and find themselves unable to get back to sleep. While around 15% of people suffering from depression sleep too much. Lack of sleep alone doesn’t cause depression, but it doesn’t help you either. It can contribute, and lack of sleep caused by other illness or anxiety can make your depression worse.
Change in appetite or weight.
Several studies have found excess weight to be linked with your
Are you experiencing anxiety or depression? Do you wait until no one’s around to eat junk food?
depression symptoms, a history of depression, and other measures of psychological distress (e.g. anxiety). Earlier studies also suggest a stronger link in women compared to men. However, this may be changing. According to 2006 study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, the depression-obesity link was found to be the same in both men and in women. Others suffering from depression experience a reduction in appetite and thus, weight loss.
I find this to be excellent information and I hope you do too. Does anyone else out there ever deal with stress, anxiety or depression? I doubt that I’m alone out there… Please share your experiences by leaving me a comment.
Have a great healthy day!
Enhance Your Life with Mother Nature! Great for your Mind, Body & Spirit!