Women have many roles to play in life. A woman is a mother, caregiver, wife, friend, working woman, and the list is very long. All of these work roles leave an impact on a woman’s health, especially on her mental health. Work load from day-to-day lives makes a woman feel mentally pressured if she’s not being considerate of her self-care needs. And if she’s not, she picks on various mental illness disorders. Mood disorder, anxiety disorder, PTSD or depression. Depression in women is more common than in men because of some factors like social statuses, biological differences, and hormones.
Sadness is a normal human emotion, but depression differs greatly from sadness. Sadness leaves after a certain period, but depression is a critical mood disorder which affects a person on a deeper level. It affects how you feel, think, or take part in daily activities. Unlike sadness, depression can last for a longer period, sometimes weeks, months or even years. It is an energy draining cycle that can be recurrent or continuous.
Here are 15 common Hidden Depression Symptoms In Woman.
Related read: Emotional Wound: Symptoms, Causes and Ways to Heal
15 Hidden Depression Symptoms In Woman
Each woman experiences depression differently. Some women suffer from only a few symptoms of depression while other women experience several symptoms. The severity and regularity of these symptoms vary depending on the individual and the severity of the illness. Some of these symptoms are distinguishable while some symptoms are hidden and easier to overlook.
Some of such common hidden signs and symptoms are listed below:
- You fake smile and pretend to be happy all the time.
- You crack jokes and try to be the funniest in the group.
- You lose interest in your favorite hobby.
- You’re quieter than usual.
- You dismiss hurt or abuse from the past or present.
- You’re comfortable by forgetting your emotional wounds rather than healing them.
- You have vague physical pain you can’t express to others.
- You have trouble expressing yourself.
- You get emotionally detached easily.
- You overeat or skip meals.
- You become highly philosophical.
- You seek ways to escape anxiety and mental health issues.
- You have problems and disinterest in forming relationships.
- You prefer work to put off your mental health needs.
- You become highly perfectionist in work and have an inner critic who is hard to satisfy.
Related read: How to Know if You’re Self-Sabotaging Yourself and How to Stop?
Reasons Of Depression Exclusive To Women
Depression symptoms in women are more common than that of men. Some types of depression are exclusive in women like Postpartum Depression or Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder.
Postpartum Depression
A woman might go through a form of depression after giving birth to a baby. This type of depression in women often informally called as the “baby blues” which is the less severe version of postpartum depression. Women suffering from postpartum depression experience mild mood swings, worries, unhappiness and exhaustion. This depression begins after a week of giving birth, and may last for a few months until the new mother adjusts to her new life with the baby.
Perinatal Depression
Sometimes perinatal depression symptoms in women show up while still in her pregnancy. Mothers that suffer from perinatal depression, experience extreme sadness, anxiety, and fatigue. Perinatal depression affects day-to-day activities including self-care, baby-care or caring for others. As perinatal depression is a severe form of depression, which can affect both the mother and the baby, it must not be overlooked and must be consulted with a mental health care professional as soon as possible.
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder
Premenstrual syndrome, or PMS, is the type of depression that affects during a woman’s menstrual cycle. But the less common and more severe form of PMS is called Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, which causes severe mood swings, anxiety, and negative thoughts prior to a week of the menstrual period begins. PMDD is a serious condition where the depression symptoms in women can be distinguished as anger, depressed mood, irritability, appetite changes, sadness, suicidal thoughts, joint or muscle pain, bloating, and breast tenderness.
Perimenopausal Depression
Another depression type in women is perimenopause depression. It happens when a woman is going through the time around the menopause period. Sometimes this depression can be very challenging as the woman might experience abnormal periods, insomnia and/or sleep apnea, mood swings, and hot flashes. These symptoms might be common but the depression that follows them isn’t. In this case, one should immediately seek professional help.
Related read: Why Yoga Is Good For Mental Health?
How To Heal Your Depression?
If you are suffering from depression for a long time, then self-care can be a good starting point if you want to get to a better place than you were yesterday. Remember, no one can help you if you don’t want to be helped. Dealing with depression and healing your emotional wounds is a long process. So, it’d require patience, consistency, and perseverance. You can follow some of the tips listed below:
- Treat yourself with kindness. Take a deep breath and be easy on yourself.
- Leave the bed and go out to have some sun time. Nature and brightness affect you positively.
- Reflect on yourself. Journal your feelings. Eat a full meal. Listen to music and laugh.
- Put your phone down and be physically active. Take a walk or be engaged in a real hobby.
- Exercise can help, so does meditation. Meditation and yoga has a great impact in healing your trauma wounds, thus helping you in your depression.
- Do the exact opposite of what your inner depressed voice suggests. Don’t forget to reward yourself afterwards.
- Be patient with yourself. Remind yourself that it might take some time but you’ll be healthy in the long run.
Also read: Breathing Meditation vs. Mantra Meditation: Which Is Better?
Remember, professional help is always available if you’re in a dire need of one. ♥♥♥