6 Signs Your Depression is Getting Worse

This article is for educational purposes and is based on personal opinions. This article is not a substitute for professional advice, but for general guidance. We advise you to always listen to your intuition and always do what is right for you. If you can relate to any of these signs, please do not take this feedback as an attack on your character. This article was meant to be a self-improvement guide for those of you who have been feeling a little stuck.

Dealing with depression is one of the hardest things that people can experience. To put it into more technical terms, 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 (American Psychiatric Association, 2020). And the worst thing is that sometimes, it just happens without an apparent reason. Additionally, studies have shown that identifying depression is more difficult than people might think. According to Alex Mitchell, MD, depression was only accurately identified in about half of true cases (Mitchell, 2009). And most of these inaccuracies can be attributed to the fact that many of the symptoms shown by people who suffer depression are similar to the symptoms of healthy, but distressed individuals.

This only goes to show how difficult dealing with this illness is. Successfully identifying depression is only the first step, and you need to make sure that you are addressing the illness appropriately, avoiding it from worsening, or completely preventing it from re-occurring. According to the American Psychiatric Association, around 20% of people will experience a depression recurrence, with this number rising for people who have experienced severe depression (Smith, 2019). With this in mind, this article will be discussing 6 signs your depression is getting worse.

Extreme loneliness

How often do you get feelings of loneliness? It is normal for everyone to feel lonely once in a while. However, if you notice this feeling resurfacing often, it might be a sign that your depression is getting worse. This is accentuated by a feeling of irreversibility that comes with this loneliness as you might feel that getting close to anyone in the future is both hopeless and impossible (Flynn, 2018).

Additionally, the loneliness caused by a worsening depression will be perpetuated by the desire to isolate yourself from others. If you are experiencing this kind of loneliness, chances are that your depression is beginning to worsen and needs to be addressed as soon as possible.

You’re not sleeping

Have you noticed changes in your sleep quantity and quality? Changes in your sleep pattern might indicate a worsening depression (Raypole, 2021). This includes both insomnia and excessive sleeping. Your sleep patterns will be directly affected by depression because of the impact that it has on your energy levels and overall mood. So, if you are suffering from a worsening depression, you will notice yourself being unable to sleep at night and oversleeping during the day.

This cycle is extremely difficult to break because of the self-perpetuating effect these two behaviours have on each other (Flynn, 2018). This will take a heavy toll on your overall well-being, as reported by the Sleep Foundation, making it one of the biggest signs to look for when diagnosing a worsening depression.

Social withdrawal

When was the last time that you enjoyed hanging out with your family or friends? With a worsening depression, it can be very challenging for you to enjoy socialising with others. Once again, depression is so hard to deal with because of how each of the symptoms feed off of other symptoms. Social withdrawal is caused and promoted by other known depression symptoms including lower energy levels, emotional numbness, and feelings of guilt and worthlessness (Raypole, 2021). Spending time alone is not wrong if you enjoy it. But it is 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.

Feelings of guilt and worthlessness

Do you often feel stuck in wrong decisions that you made in the past? Constantly feeling guilty and worthless is one of the biggest signs that your depression is worsening. When experiencing depression, you’re very likely to suffer from a huge dip in self-esteem since you’ll find it very hard to see anything positive about yourself (Flynn, 2018).

This can make you revisit past situations where you made a mistake or took a bad decision, worsening the feelings of guilt and worthlessness that you might be feeling. Feeling like a you are a burden will link up to other depression symptoms, such as social withdrawal, and create a difficult cycle that will worsen your depression, so it’s better to seek help before this happens.

You feel numb

Have you recently lost interest in things that you used to enjoy? Psychology Today reports that this can be attributed to a worsening depression, as it is known to not only intensify negative emotions, but also make you feel numb about the things that you used to love (Flynn, 2018). This feeling of numbness will make it very difficult as you struggle to find any motivation to exercise, socialise, or any other activity that you enjoyed in the past (Raypole, 2021). Additionally, it will also make it difficult for you to have the energy to do essential tasks such as working or taking care of responsibilities. If you start feeling numb about the things that usually interest you, it is important that you address it before your depression worsens more.

Your eating patterns have changed drastically

Have you either been over-eating or entirely lost your appetite recently? A drastic change in your eating patterns might suggest a worsening depression (Raypole, 2021). According to Susan Albers, PsyD, and clinical psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic, people who are suffering from a worsening depression will either turn 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 (Uscher, 2011). Both situations will lead to poor eating habits, which will fuel your depression, heavily impact your mood, and create a bad cycle. Albers recommends connecting with other people and avoid isolating too much as they will support and help you break out of the cycle.

To conclude, if you are familiar, or have started noticing some of the signs that were discussed in this article, it is very important that you don’t ignore them since they might spiral out of control sooner and faster than you might think. Depression is so difficult to deal with, especially with how self-perpetuating each of its symptoms are, but, with the correct approach and help, it is a treatable illness. So, keep fighting against it and never lose hope. Once you’re able to break from its cycle, you’ll feel better and be better.

References

American Psychiatric Association. (2020). What Is Depression?. Retrieved 19 April 2021, from https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/depression/what-is-depression

Flynn, E. (2018). 8 Signs Your Depression Is Getting Worse, Because These Red Flags Can’t Be Ignored. Retrieved 19 April 2021, from https://www.bustle.com/p/8-signs-your-depression-is-getting-worse-because-its-important-to-know-what-to-look-for-9368097

Mitchell, A. (2009). Why depression is hard to diagnose. Retrieved 19 April 2021, from https://www.clinicaladvisor.com/home/commentary/why-depression-is-hard-to-diagnose/

Raypole, C. (2021). Think Your Depression’s Getting Worse? Here’s How to Tell — and How to Get Support. Retrieved 19 April 2021, from https://www.healthline.com/health/depression/my-depression-is-getting-worse

Smith, A. (2019). What are the early signs of a depression relapse?. Retrieved 19 April 2021, from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320269