 Hey Psych2Goers, welcome back to another video. Depression is a disorder rampant world over. With so much information available about this mental disorder, one would think they know everything there is to know. But surprisingly, there are still areas regarding depression that are quite obscure. Many resources simply elicit symptoms of depression. Most people who talk about depression paint a picture of someone lying in bed under the covers without any energy or motivation. Although fatigue is a telltale sign of depression, it is not the only one. There is a myriad of subtle personality shifts that occur when you slip into a depressive state. So here are five lesser known symptoms of depression. Number one, emotional toggling. Emotional toggling refers to an extreme shift in emotions. A happy moment can take you out of your blues but only for a moment. You may experience radical shifts and emotions where one moment you feel at your lowest and in the next moment you feel euphoric. Emotional toggling can be confused for hypomania and thus be misdiagnosed as bipolar disorder or borderline personality disorder. But it also affects people with depression. These up days are usually caused by external factors like a promotion at work or good news. Though you may not seem depressed at the moment, internally you may still be battling with depression. These intense mood swings damper your moments of success or happiness and can make you feel confused about your emotions. Number two, forgetfulness. Though forgetfulness is a common trait of depression, it is a trait typically overlooked. It's easy to ignore because a lapse in memory happens. It happens to everyone. However, absent-mindedness caused by depression happens because the person is ruminating. They are most likely trapped inside their mind. Additionally, depression affects your memory. Studies show that depression can produce short-term memory loss. One recommended way to tackle depression fog is through exercise. It may seem counterintuitive because you might not have energy, but exercising gets you out of your head. Number three, inability to concentrate. Depression can also affect your concentration. Concentration problems are attributed to ADHD, but it can also be a sign of depression. Depression is a private battle where you battle your mind. In a depressive state, you experience intrusive thoughts about worthlessness and sadness. Negative intrusive thoughts distract you from your work or push you to engage in self-soothing habits, such as distracting yourself with your phone or scrolling through YouTube or food. Concentration issues can set you back on your assignments, thus causing you to miss deadlines and assignments. If you find yourself ruminating or dealing with intrusive thoughts, take a moment to observe them, breathe and step back from your mind. You can also try to find an activity that grounds you in the present. Yoga and meditation are great practices that can help you get out of your head. Number four, extreme guilt. Though experiencing guilt from time to time is not an indicator of your emotional state. Excessive guilt is a sign of depression. In fact, it was listed as a symptom in 1994 by the American Psychiatric Association. The guilt you experience in a depressive state is all-consuming. The guilt you feel prevents you from seeing past your mistakes. It snowballs into feeling guilty for forgetting a birthday, to feeling guilty for being born. The guilt someone with depression experiences builds and builds and can get to a point where it pushes them towards suicidal thoughts or ideations. Guilt is something that happens privately. It festers during stifled pauses in a conversation and hides behind self-depreciating jokes. And number five, rigid perfectionism. According to Shannon Kalikowski, author of When Depression Hurts Your Relationship, having and holding yourself to rigid ideals are contributors and byproducts of depression. In the context of depression, perfectionism belies the idea that others will love you if you are perfect. It conflates your self-worth to what you do. Unfortunately, this makes you susceptible to easily lapse into depressive episodes, especially when something goes wrong. Depression comes in all shapes and colors and affects us all differently. It is a very real and very serious mental illness, but you don't have to fight it all on your own. Don't be afraid to ask for help, nor let the stigmas attached deter you. No matter how bad it gets, there's always hope that things can get better. Reaching out to a psychologist or a counselor and getting the help that you need and deserve can not only improve your life, but also encourage others to break away from the stigmas to seek help. Do any of these describe your experience? Tell us in the comments. If you have any comments or feedback regarding this video, please leave them in the comment box as well. We love hearing back from viewers and your feedback is so important for us when we're creating content, it's like to go. If you found this video helpful, be sure to hit the like button and share it with those out there who may also benefit from it. Don't forget to subscribe to Psych2Go and hit the notification bell for more new videos. Thanks so much for watching and see you next time.