Written By: Debjani Arora | Updated: January 19, 2017, 3:38 PM
1/11
We often associate depression with loneliness and a feeling of gloom. But in reality depression is more than just that. There are subtle signs that tell you about the condition at its onset, here are a few of them.
2/11
You slow down at work. With the chemical changes happening in your brain, your entire system slows down. You take too much time to do grunt work like cleaning your desk or making a cup of tea. At work, you might not be able to come up with innovative ideas or take too long to complete your tasks.
3/11
You feel tired. A general sense of gloom and fatigue with aches and pains – shoulder pains, back pain and headaches mocks you throughout the day, without any rhyme or reason.
4/11
You are either sleeping too much or are sleepless. Disturbed sleep is closely linked to depression. Either you find it difficult to get up from the bed even after 10 hours of restful sleep, or you might keep pacing around the house at night in a desperate attempt to fall asleep.
5/11
You have high sugar cravings. You are addicted not just to chocolate, but also high carb foods. These foods raise your blood sugar level and also signal the brain to produce more serotonin a hormone that makes you feel good for a while.
6/11
You are a passive social media addict. Social media addiction is a different ball game all together. But with depression you become a passive addict. You can browse through facebook and twitter for hours, find it difficult to log out, but never comment or interact with people even in the virtual world. You retract.
7/11
You are unable to multitask. Along with slow reflexes, you might find it difficult to multitask. You try hard to find a balance between work and home, friends and family, but the pressure still gets to you.
8/11
You make more mistakes. You might find yourself making lots of errors at work -- typing errors, forgetting deadlines and blanking out during important conversations.
9/11
You can’t concentrate. Your brain in unable to help you focus. You find it hard to even draft a leave application.
10/11
You are physically inactive. Depression affects your entire body, especially your lower limbs. You find it difficult to move yourself from one place to other or engage in any physical activity. It makes you more lethargic and sad.
11/11
You indulge in substance abuse. You might not even suspect this. But if you are desperately looking for a Friday night out with friends to booze and drink your way to happiness, it’s time you do some introspection.
