The Symptom of Depression We Don’t Talk About

“Oh, I’m so depressed…” This is something that most of us hear very often and some of us say as well. The reason may be stress at work, a favorite team losing a cricket match, or because your credit card bill was a lot longer than you expected. This is not real depression; real depression is something that a lot of people are still learning about. We may know that depression as a mental issue is devastating and the victim is always sad or just numb. However, there is a core symptom of depression that we hardly talk about – yes, let’s talk about that symptom now.

Loneliness Is The Culprit

Loneliness – the one symptom of depression that works like a vicious cycle. Once you’re in, you really can’t get out of it. When I was suffering from clinical depression a few years ago, it was hard to realize what I actually was dealing with. I did feel sad but the sadness was so much different from the one that we usually feel. When you’re depressed, you can be deeply sad for silly things or you can be sad for nothing. You just feel tired and exhausted all the time, but when you combine it with loneliness, things go haywire.

Human beings are social animals, and it is really difficult for us to stay without a peer connection. Even the most introverted kind of characters would have at least a few friends or one or two people who are close to them. They might not enjoy social interactions as much as the rest of the people, but they too need someone to talk to. When you’re depressed, you don’t really feel like talking to anyone, including your closest support systems. The reasons may be many including the fact that you’re so exhausted to have an emotional outbreak and the fear that they won’t understand you. Hence, you end up being alone even if you really really want someone to be there.

This loneliness is something that you may feel is going to last until the end of eternity. That’s just the way your mind works when you’re actually depressed. You’ve given up – you don’t really want to fight or make an effort to do anything at all. You feel that you don’t have to convince anyone to love you and be there for you. On the other hand, you also feel that you’re totally alone because nobody really cared to ask how you’re doing. In my case, I used to sit at home doing nothing other than work, for months! It made me feel very lonely and added to my depression. But when my friends and family used to invite me for something fun to do together, I chickened out. Sounds crazy, right? It happens to a lot of people more often than you can imagine.

What You Can Do

If you’re feeling depressed and lonely, you’re not in this alone. With the kind of lifestyle and family setups that we grow in, you’re a hero if you’ve dealt with mental health issues by yourself. Know that there are people who will totally understand you and if not your friends and family, you can always seek the help of a professional psychologist or psychiatrist if necessary. If you cannot afford counseling, you can still approach NGOs and clinics that help people suffering from depression, free of cost. The most important thing for you to believe in right now is the strength in you. Know that all this is temporary and you are strong enough to get through no matter what.

If you don’t suffer from depression, but know someone else, be kind to them. You don’t really have to do much for them or treat them differently. Show them that you care- that’s all they need.

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