I have a friend whose dad recently died. I've noticed a huge change in his behavior, which indicates he may have depression, but he insists he's fine. How do I know he's depressed? Here are some of the signs.
1. His sleeping habits have changed.
1. His sleeping habits have changed.
Suddenly, he is staying up all night and sleeping most of the day. He's not participating in his normal activities, and hasn't been going to school or work because he's sleeping.
2. He's in Pain
2. He's in Pain
It's not just his heart that is hurting; it's also his body. He has headaches, and his back hurts. Research shows that 75% of people who suffer from depression experience pain that makes their depression worse.
3. He's Gaining Weight
3. He's Gaining Weight
urning to food for comfort is starting to take a toll on his weight. A significant change in diet and weight is another sign of depression.
4. He is glued to his electronics.
4. He is glued to his electronics.
He is glued to his i-phone, Facebook, and television. He can't seem to turn them off. When someone's internet use gets out of control, that's another sign of depression.
5. He's having trouble making up his mind.
5. He's having trouble making up his mind.
He can't seem to make decisions, even easy ones.
6. He loses his temper easily.
6. He loses his temper easily.
He gets easily irritated and loses his temper, even when it's little things that he'd normally ignore or laugh about. In a recent study, more than half of depressed people say that they feel grumpy, foul-tempered, and angry
So what do I do now....now that I think he is depressed and needs help?
I'll talk with him about it and encourage him to go to someone for help. I'll let him know that I care about him and I want him to be feeling better.
If he doesn't listen to me, then I'll talk to his family about my concerns. Most of all, I'll let my friend know that depression is nothing to be embarrassed about. It's not a sign of weakness or a sign of a defective brain. It's just a symptom of something, like the sniffles is a symptom of a cold. Sometimes you need to have those symptoms checked out by a doctor to find out what's going on, and that's what I hope he'll do.
I'll talk with him about it and encourage him to go to someone for help. I'll let him know that I care about him and I want him to be feeling better.
If he doesn't listen to me, then I'll talk to his family about my concerns. Most of all, I'll let my friend know that depression is nothing to be embarrassed about. It's not a sign of weakness or a sign of a defective brain. It's just a symptom of something, like the sniffles is a symptom of a cold. Sometimes you need to have those symptoms checked out by a doctor to find out what's going on, and that's what I hope he'll do.
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