Most illnesses have some kind of symptoms and depression is no exception. Although it is still being researched, physicians and psychologists have found out some similar and common symptoms that can be observed while a person or an individual is in depression. Depression can also affect young people. But before knowing the signs or symptoms of depression, we actually need to know what depression is.
What is Depression?
Depression can be considered a state in which people may feel empty, alone, sad, hopeless. People can feel down from time to time as it is a normal part of life. But things tend to get out of hand when these (emptiness, loneliness, sadness, hopelessness) overtake the normal mode of life.
According to the Institute of National Mental Health, 5.8% of adults in Singapore suffer from depression and this is a data from 2010. In 2021, with so much happening around us, especially the Covid-19, the situation has drastically changed. People have become more depressed after losing their loved ones. Some also had their financial situation degraded. Depression can be common, yet it is a serious medical illness. It is a kind of mood disorder that can cause the feeling of sadness, irritation or hopelessness. Depression is so common these days that more than 264 million people are affected. With Singapore’s work life affecting people, more and more of them have succumbed to this mental illness. It can be much worse than usual mood fluctuations and emotional ups and downs, as it can harm the self both physically and mentally. Every year, more than 8 lac people die due to suicide, and it is the second leading cause of death in 15-29-year-olds. It is seen that the prevalence of major depressive disorder amongst the Singapore population increased from 5.8% in 2010 to 6.5% in 2016.
Now let us find out the symptoms and signs of depression among the youth:
Change in mood and behaviour
Mood change can be one of the reasons for depression. Like sudden irritability, getting short-tempered, restless. When the tolerance level keeps getting low, it may feel like everything, and everyone gets on nerves. This behavioural change towards others can indicate the early stage of depression.
Change in appetite
Depression can cause a massive change in food consumption. Some may eat a lot and gain weight, whereas others may almost stay away from food and lose weight. Studies have shown that there can be a change of (more or less) 5% body weight in a month.
Lack of interest
Among the youth, it is seen that most of them who are depressed tend to lose interest in fun activities and even sometimes in daily activities. Some can feel that they don’t care anymore about anything, including their social activities. They may lack the ability to feel delightfulness and satisfaction.
Another sign of depression is the loss of energy within oneself. Some can feel fatigued, sluggish or exhausted, like physically drained. The body may tend to feel heavy, and even small tasks may feel too much or may take longer to get done.
Change in sleep schedules
Depression can cause some noticeable changes in sleep timings. One can become an insomniac, and the other can be sleeping for long hours.
Self-loathing and concentration issues
The strong feelings of worthlessness and guilt may develop from depression. This may lead to overthinking and self-criticising for making faults and mistakes. When this keeps going, this may lead to concentration problems, decision-making issues.
Counselling can help prevent depression.
How Counselling can Help Fight Depression
Counselling is the method of safe and confidential talk therapy between the client and the counsellor. Counselling in Singapore can benefit a person in many ways to fight against depression. People may not or cannot open up to others, but they tend to open up to the counsellor and seek help from professionals. The counsellor is there to listen to what the client has to say and encourage them to unfold the depth of the issues they are facing. Not only this, but there are also several other benefits a person can get from counselling, such as:
- Counselling in Singapore helps ease stress
- Gives hope and a new perspective for living
- It can help make it easier to go with the treatment
- Connecting to people and talking about the problems
- More importantly, it can help keep an eye if the depression is getting worse
People in society tend to think that counselling is only for the depressed, but that is not true. Counselling in Singapore can be beneficial when someone is trying to know themselves further and even catch before someone becomes depressed. With the increase in population in Singapore, the number of depressed people in the country is also increasing day by day and counselling in Singapore can help prevent it from getting worse. With the help of counselling, people can pinpoint where they are standing in their lives and what to do next.
Counselling can help to identify realistic future goals. It can help evolve a person with a new perspective, motive, hope, and a whole new way to look at our lives. Moreover, it can assist in developing new skills to cope with the symptoms and prevent any issues related to depression in the future.
Counselling in Singapore is now easy to find. Counselling in Singapore with their training team will be more than happy to help you through your whole journey of mental and health wellness and wellbeing. For more information and to know more about our services, click on the link above.