Most people can list some of the obvious signs of depression, but sometimes it can be difficult to put your finger on what’s going on with you or someone else because of what people typically think depression looks like.  

Some alternate signs/symptoms are:

1. “But nothing bad happened.”  When you can’t identify anything “bad” that happened it can be hard to say you are depressed.  Depression can be triggered by a life event, but not necessarily.  There can be other organic causes such as hormones, chemical imbalances in the brain, nutrition, or health.  Further, people are sometimes surprised when they have their first depressive episode in adulthood.  If they have never been depressed before it can be hard to recognize.

2. You’re chronically stressed; yes that’s it, just being  exposed to chronic stress can gradually chip away at your mood and ability to function.  It happens slowly over time so it can be difficult to recognize, but it can lead to overall dissatisfaction with life and burn out.

3. Not attending to your appearance or daily hygiene can be a sign of depression.  It could be because of feeling too tired, not wanting to draw attention to yourself, or not caring about yourself, but particularly if this is a change in behavior for you; it could signal depression.

4. You’re mean for no reason.  Saying something then thinking, “Who said that?  Why did I say that?  Where did that come from?”  Feelings of agitation and anger can be common in depression.

5. Sleeping or eating too little.  It’s more obvious that sleeping too much or eating too much correlates with depression.  However, not getting enough sleep or having no appetite is also a sign of depression.

6. Self-loathing.  Spinning the wheels in your head over and over again about all the dislikes you have about yourself and your life can be a sign you are stuck in depression.  Getting out of this kind of negative thinking can be tricky, but shouldn’t be ignored.