Common Depression Warning Signs – Healing on the Road

With the weather getting colder, days getting shorter, and skies more consistently overcast, for those who have Seasonal Affective Disorder and those who are prone to depression during the gloomier months, we know that it’s time to start preparing. There are a lot of things I do to mentally prepare myself for the cold and rainy seasons but the one thing I’ve found that is vital to my mental health and wellness is knowing my depression warning signs.

I define depression warning signs as the very first changes that happen both in my mind and body right when I start feeling even the slightest bit depressed. It’s those little mental and physical changes that you could probably write off as just a meh kind of day, but if they last long enough, could turn into a week or weeks of depression. They can be very similar to actual symptoms of depression so the key is to really fine tune your alert system to notice them as soon as they begin.

Knowing our depression warning signs can help us begin taking the steps we need towards recovery before we’re in the thick of it. Recovering from a few days of feeling depressed is much easier to do than recovering from a major depressive episode. And getting help is much easier to do when we’re in the milder stages of depression. The main goal is not to completely avoid getting depressed, because quite frankly I don’t know if that’s possible, but rather to catch a downward spiral before it happens so you’re not falling full force into a major depressive episode or a depression that lasts several days.

Warning signs can be difficult to identify at their onset so part of your job is to be super familiar with how your depression manifests itself because symptoms of depression and depression warning signs are often the same just at different magnitudes. It’s taken some hard work and plenty of time to learn, but knowing my own personal depression warning signs has helped me prevent many major depressions in the past few years. While they can manifest themselves differently for everyone, there are several warning signs that seem to be especially common.

Body Aches and Pains

Physical pain is one of the most common symptoms of depression, yet many folks with depression don’t actually know this. The physical aches and pains that you might be having could very well be a sign that you’re getting depressed. Essentially, when you start feeling depressed, your brain has a harder time regulating neurotransmitters that are often used to help manage pain. There’s also been suggestions that higher stress levels in our brains cause inflammation in our bodies, creating real physical pain. All science aside, it’s important to note that the pain you’re feeling is real and to not let anyone or any doctor minimize that.

Pay attention to how your body feels when you’re not depressed versus how it feels when you are depressed. You’ll start to notice specific parts of your body that hurt more than others. My common pain points are my left elbow, left ankle, and lower back. If those all start aching at the same time, it’s often an indicator that I’m getting depressed.

Fatigue

This is a biggie for me. I wake up tired and stay tired even with a solid 8 hours of sleep. Fatigue is a dangerous one for me because sometimes I’ll think, “Oh, I’m tired so I’ll just take a short nap.” That short nap turns into a 3 hour sleep, that night I fall asleep later than normal, I wake up even more tired because my sleep schedule is off, and soon I’m sleeping during the day and up all night. Fatigue is also hard because it makes me even less likely to exercise, and exercise is one of the best ways to combat not only depression, but fatigue. Fatigue can also present itself as physical activity feeling more strenuous than usual or that the work days seem like they’re moving extra slowly. Maybe it’s not that you feel physically tired but that your eyelids feel heavier or your legs feel weighted down.

Irritability

This is when I seem to think everyone and everything is annoying and frustrating rather than doing a bit of introspection and seeing that I’m just feeling a little depressed. This is an easy one for me to spot because struggling to put the batteries into the remote doesn’t typically result in the remote being hurtled across the living room. If I’m knitting and dropping a stitch sends me into a full fledged meltdown, it’s a solid warning sign. It’s also those days when your partner’s chewing sounds extra loud or the bedsheets are not fitting just right. Notice if the things that normally wouldn’t irritate you are hounding your nerves a tad more. And pro tip, give yourself a pass and don’t try calling the cable or cell phone company on days when you’re feeling irritable.

Negative and Mean Thoughts

When the batteries don’t fit in the remote and now you’re telling yourself you’re a failure and can’t do anything right, that’s a warning sign. But sometimes those mean thoughts are much more subtle and disguise themselves a bit better. It’s when you’re editing your resume and the whole time in the back of your mind you’re telling yourself that it doesn’t matter and you won’t get the job anyway. Or you’re making dinner and you’re already thinking it’s going to be bland and unfixable. When you’re in the shower and things that you should’ve said to your snarky coworker are swirling in your head and all the sudden you’re a coward for not telling Jan that the printer doesn’t refill itself. Or you’re just overall down on yourself about everything and feel like you can’t do anything right when in actuality you have done everything right that day. It’s feelings of self-loathing, worthlessness, and helplessness.

In my experience, mean thoughts can be one of the hardest to identify because as people with depression, we are constantly saying mean things to ourselves regardless of our mood. So really pay attention to what you’re saying to yourself as well as those thoughts that are brewing in the back of your mind, hiding at a subconscious level. For more tips on identifying mean thoughts and negative thinking, check out this article.

Loss of Motivation

When I can only get motivated enough to turn on Netflix, or even when I find myself unintentionally watching Netflix all day, I know that if I’m not already depressed then I’m on my way. Loss of motivation doesn’t just mean the big things like not wanting to exercise or go to work or cook. It also means losing motivation to do the little things like brushing your teeth, showering, taking out the trash. As soon as your brain or body says No, I don’t want to do that stop and ask yourself why. Is it because you waited too long before bed to brush your teeth and are now exhausted or is it because you just don’t have the motivation?

Procrastination and Avoidance

This is not just about work deadlines and scheduling Zoom calls. It’s putting off going to the grocery store until the absolute last minute. It’s letting the dishes build up or sit in the dishwasher for days on end. It can be telling yourself that you’ll exercise tomorrow, for the 6th day this week. This is a hard one for me because it’s one that truly makes me feel bad about myself. It can be a slippery slope from identifying that I’ve been procrastinating and/or avoiding, to feeling like I’m a complete failure who can’t get anything done. Procrastination and avoidance are very similar to loss of motivation so don’t dwell on figuring out which one it is, just know that they can both be warning signs.

Fidgeting and Problems Concentrating

I love reading and writing but when I can’t sit still long enough to finish a sentence or thought, it’s usually a warning sign. Another less recognizable example is when you’re watching a good movie and yet you can’t stop scrolling through Instagram on your phone. When you’re sitting at your desk and find yourself frequently wandering to the bathroom even though you don’t really have to go or grabbing a snack from the kitchen even though you’re not hungry. I have acne and when I’m picking my face a lot more than normal, my hands unconsciously gravitating towards my face, that can be a warning sign for me. Sometimes warning signs are smaller or less significant than we realize so really pay attention to what your body and mind are doing when you’re engaged in work or pleasure activities.

Changes in Appetite

For me, I lose my appetite and crave sugar and very specifically, mac and cheese. Some folks will find an increase in appetite when they start feeling depressed. I love candy, ice cream, and mac and cheese and whole heartedly believe that comfort foods are a great and important part of healing. A little known fact about depression is that it can actually make us crave sugar which in turn can prevent us from eating the types of foods that are actually good for our brains. And when we’re depressed, our brains need all the help they can get. So pay attention to changes in your appetite because even if you’ve never noticed it before, it could very well be a sign that you’re starting to get depressed.

Changes in our Bodies

When my hair starts coming out in clumps in the shower, it alerts me to two things, I’m either stressed or getting depressed or both. It’s actually one thing that is really easy for me to notice because I have one of those hair catchers over my shower drain. Another physical change for me is acne. I have acne more often than not on my chin and jawline but when I start breaking out on my chest, back, and forehead, it’s often a sign that I’m getting depressed. I also have a much harder time sitting up straight and maintaining good posture when I’m feeling depressed. Insomnia, sleeping too much, and lack of libido are also warning signs to look out for. Pay attention to how your body normally feels and acts and look for even the subtle changes because I guarantee you that they’re there.

Struggling to Make Decisions

Decision fatigue is real and while making too many decisions is tiring, avoiding making decisions or not making any decisions at all can actually be a sign that we’re getting depressed. Pay attention to when things like what to eat or what to wear become extra stressful. When the question of “do I need a jacket” turns into a research project on the weather tendencies for California in early November, that could be a warning sign. For me, it’ll come down to simple things like what time should I do the laundry or should I walk the dog now or in 15 minutes. I end up debating them for way longer than ever necessary instead of just getting it done.

Isolating

Isolating is a common symptom of depression and can also be one of the trickier warning signs to identify depending on how it manifests itself. In its most obvious form, isolating is not feeling like hanging out with friends or going to big gatherings. In its more devious form, it looks like not responding to text messages and important emails, not answering your phone, not wanting to leave your home. It can be hiding out in your room and waiting until your roommates leave the house to come out. It can be finding excuses to not leave the house and avoiding tasks that require you to go outside. It can be more than just avoiding your friends and family but avoiding human interaction and people in general.

Tips and Reminders

Talk to your support system and tell them that you’re working on identifying your depression warning signs. Maybe ask them if they have any suggestions or any tendencies that they’ve noticed. Also tell them once you’ve figured out what your warning signs are and ask them if they could be on the look out as well. Having more people in your corner and aware of what you’re going through will be beneficial for you as well as those close to you.
Have a therapist that you’re ready to call at the first sign of trouble. If you know that you get depressed during the winter and spring months and it is financially possible, already be seeing a therapist. Taking preventative measures now will only help you in the long run.
If you are on medication, plan to check in with your psychiatrist before the cold season sets in and maybe even schedule more frequent appointments.
For folks with periods, know your cycle and be familiar with how PMS affects you. And also be aware of writing off your harder days as PMS. While our periods and PMS may be a factor in our moods, it’s not always the main cause so don’t minimize your depression and don’t let others do so either.
Think outside the box and pay attention to even the smallest changes in your habits, mood, and every day activities. They’re not always super obvious so don’t limit yourself to the ones I’ve detailed above.
As always, be kind and gentle with yourself. This is not an exercise in self-deprecation or discovering personal failures. This is an exercise in self-care so explore and get curious about your warning signs with intentional self-love. Understanding and getting familiar with your depression can truly be an empowering practice if you enter into it believing so.

*main photo is from Sedona, AZ, stolen lands of the Yavapai, Apache, Hopi, and Hohokam people