 Hey Psych2Goers, welcome back and thank you so much for your support. Do you think everyone who is depressed acts the same? Depression is a serious medical illness that can last for long periods of time and negatively affect how you feel, the way you think, and how you act. It can cause you to hold on to negative thought patterns, which lead to habits that can worsen your overall mood and well-being. So to help you become more aware of how your depression can worsen, here are six signs your depression is getting worse. Number one, extreme loneliness. How often do you feel lonely? While it's normal for everyone to feel lonely once in a while, it can be a sign that your depression is getting worse if you notice this feeling resurfacing more and more often. On top of this, you may also be overcome with a feeling of irreversibility that comes with this loneliness. You might feel that getting too close to anyone in the future is both hopeless and impossible. In the end, this type of loneliness caused by a worsening depression can lead to a desire to further isolate yourself from others. Number two, you're not sleeping. Have you noticed changes in your sleep quantity and quality? Changes in your sleep pattern can be an indicator of worsening depression. This includes both insomnia and excessive sleeping. Depression can affect your sleeping patterns because of the impact that it has on your energy levels and overall mood. The cycle of having a lack of sleep and worsening depression is extremely difficult to break because of the self-perpetuating effect these two behaviors have. As reported by the Sleep Foundation, it can end up taking a heavy toll on your overall well-being, making it one of the biggest signs to look for when diagnosing worsening depression. Number three, social withdrawal. When was the last time you enjoyed some time with your family or friends? When depression gets worse, you may find it more and more challenging to enjoy socializing with others. As we've mentioned, depression can be very hard to deal with because of how each of the symptoms can feed off of other symptoms. Social withdrawal is caused and promoted by other symptoms of depression, including low energy levels, emotional numbness and feelings of guilt and worthlessness. So while it's okay and quite normal to spend time alone, it's also important to understand the difference between being alone and feeling lonely, as the latter can very easily negatively impact your mood and worsen your depression. Number four, feelings of guilt and worthlessness. Do you often think about the past and the choices you've made back then? Since depression can make it hard for you to see the positives about yourself, your self-esteem may end up taking a huge dip. In these moments, you might find yourself constantly thinking about the past and ruminating over situations where you made a mistake or were in the wrong. This type of thinking can end up worsening your feelings of guilt and worthlessness, which can lead to habits of social withdrawal and create a difficult cycle that negatively impacts your depression. Number five, you feel numb. Have you recently lost interest in things that you used to enjoy? Psychology Today reports that this can be attributed to worsening depression, as it's known to not only intensify negative emotions, but also make you feel numb about the things that you used to love. This feeling of numbness can make it very difficult to find any motivation to do things like exercise, socialize, or any other activity that you may have enjoyed in the past. Additionally, it may also make it difficult to find the energy to do essential tasks, such as cooking meals or working. And number six, your eating patterns have changed drastically. Have you been overeating lately, or perhaps you've lost your appetite altogether? A drastic change in eating patterns might suggest worsening depression. According to Susan Albers, PsyD, a clinical psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic, people who are suffering from worsening depression will either return to food to try to lift their mood up and cope with difficult feelings or be too exhausted to prepare a meal for themselves and eat. Both situations can lead to poor eating habits, which may heavily impact your mood and create a negative cycle that fuels your depression. Albers recommends connecting with other people to avoid isolating too much, as others may be able to help support you and help you break out of these cycles. So did you find this video helpful? Let us know in the comments below. Be sure to like and share this video with others who might benefit from it, and don't forget to subscribe and hit the notification bell icon to get notified whenever Psych2Go posts a new video. The references and studies used in this video are added in the description below. Thanks so much for watching and we'll see you next time.