With the rising numbers of mental health problems and risks that people face every day, it’s still a surprise that many individuals don’t know how to identify the signs of depression. There are subtle and obvious signs of anxiety in your everyday life. Identifying them is one of the first steps in becoming a better person.
Self-image Is Jeopardised
Do you look at yourself in the mirror and immediately feel sick and unhappy? Does hearing your name spoken by other people make you cringe? Do you imagine investing in surgeries to no longer look like who you are? These could be telltale signs of depression and other mental illnesses such as dysmorphia. It is not a problem to want a semi-permanent cosmetic tattoo; nor is it wrong to want to gain muscles or lose weight. But if your reasons for changing yourself are that you were taught to dislike your own looks, then it isn’t healthy.
You Sell Yourself Short
Do you agree to plans, tasks, and situations that do not benefit you in any way? Are you constantly denying your own skills and achievements because you’re scared of being called prideful? Do you feel uneasy when you are being praised or complimented for good deeds? When you have low self-esteem and depression, you treat yourself like an underling or someone in indentured servitude. Nothing is ever enough, and you will always have an emotional or intellectual debt to pay. Counter this by practising firmness with your salary, pricing, time, and words. Be sincere and honest, even if it means letting go of people who pretend to respect you.
Health Goes Away
As your emotional well-being decreases, you start caring less and less about your body. You skip meals and consume more junk food and sweet drinks, you bathe less often and wash your clothes less often, and you stop wearing anything that makes you feel good about yourself. This is a clear and visible sign that you are going through intense emotional turmoil. When people begin pointing it out, and you realise that it isn’t a fluke, you have to listen to them. Go back to cleaning yourself up. Start eating better food when you can afford it.
You Have Guilt Trips
Aside from a lack of identity, you will soon start believing the negativity that you think for yourself. In fact, you will begin believing that you deserve all the bad press about you. Anxiety has a habit of persistently trying to undermine every good and beneficial moment in your career. It will make you doubt your own happiness and be afraid of happiness altogether. When you notice this happening to you, whether by your own realisation or with the help of others, start separating your thoughts from your fears. Seek confirmation and affirmation from friends and people you can trust. Discipline your mind into knowing your own worth.
Knowing is truly only half the battle. There is no magical, overnight cure for depression and anxiety, only a day-to-day process of healing, empowering, and management. Start your recovery today. Talk to a professional and open up to friends that you can truly trust with your feelings.
