 Hey, Psych2goers! Have you ever felt recurring negative thoughts or felt pain you couldn't explain? Well, you aren't alone. Depression affects millions of people all over the world. Did you know there are certain signs and symptoms that are common to depression? Here are 10 signs and symptoms you may notice if you may have depression. 1. Sleeping Problems This can manifest in a variety of ways. If you normally sleep well but start seeing patterns of broken sleep, that might be signs of insomnia. You may wake up much earlier than usual or take longer to fall asleep. You may find yourself sleeping longer or less than usual. Psych Central's Matthew Boland and Kimberly Drake say that even if you're getting 8 hours or longer, you may still take naps. You may notice that you have to drag yourself out of bed. It may take even an hour for you to do so, more than once a week. 2. Apathy or boredom towards things that you like Are you starting to notice that activities such as reading a book, watching the newest TV show or listening to music are starting to seem tedious or not as enjoyable? You may say whatever to anything that someone says to you. You have access to all these tasks, however you don't want to act on them, nor are able to maintain any interest in them. 3. Having Unexplained Physical Pain For some, depression may show up as physical symptoms. Do you have aches and pains, headaches or even digestive issues? In 2018, Modernazo and others found that irritable bowel syndrome, IBS, has shown some connectivity with those who have depression. As many of these pathways are shared between the two diseases, our whole body is connected to each other in a variety of pathways. When one part is affected, others may be as well. 4. Lacking Energy Feeling Lethargic or Fatigued Do you constantly feel tired or fatigued? Or maybe you notice that you find it hard to focus on a task such as going to school or work? You may start missing deadlines or assignments because of this lack of energy and concentration. This may result in not remembering certain things or not doing certain activities. 5. Negative Rumination Rumination is when you start thinking about the same topic or situation over and over again. Generally, this is something your loved ones may notice sooner than you will. Thoughts can take over much of your time, and Dr. Roddenberg notes how certain past regrets and future worries are futile to spend so much time on. There is good and bad in every situation, so it's important to look at the silver linings. 6. Increase or decrease in appetite Have you noticed that you started snacking more? Craving more things with carbs? You may notice that you're losing or gaining weight. Dr. Marks, a registered psychiatrist, says that because carbs have serotonin, you will notice an increase in mood for 30 minutes after eating, but then this temporary happiness will disappear. This is a form of self-soothing, frequently seen in those with depression. 7. Self-Medicating Through Substance Abuse Alcohol contains carbs, and you may start consuming more of it. It's understandable that buying a bottle of alcohol or a pack of cigarettes may be easier than seeking out external counseling or therapy. There are other healthier methods of alleviating your negative feelings. With professional help, you'll be able to find them and use them to help you long-term. 8. Sudden mood shifts Have you felt happy at one point and then severely unhappy at another in a short period of time? There may be a dysregulation in your emotional and cognitive circuits when you are depressed. It's understandable that certain events in your life create a change in your mood and emotion, but sometimes these changes may start to become severe or extreme. 9. Hopelessness or guilty thoughts You may start thinking that you're not good enough, or you may start to blame yourself for certain problems that occur. These thoughts may start to make you feel like you're drowning, but you're not the problem. Oftentimes, there are a variety of factors that create a problem, not one single thing, and sometimes things that happen are out of your control. 10. Thoughts of death or suicide When hopelessness or guilty thoughts start to get extreme, you may start to think about death being a better option, or the only option, but it's not. You're important, you're valued, and you're loved by many. With the help and support of those around you, you will find how amazing you are. There are so many events and memories to be made that are out there waiting for you. Noticing any changes in your day-to-day life is the first step to finding out if you may have depression. If you find that your symptoms become severe and are interfering with your day-to-day life, work, or relationships, please don't hesitate to get help through counseling or therapy. Remember, you're not alone. We've included suicide hotlines for many countries in the description. Did you find this video valuable? Tell us in the comments below. Please like and share it with friends that might find use in this video too. Make sure to subscribe to Psych2Go and hit the notification bell for more content. All the references used are added in the description box below. Thanks so much for watching. See you next time.