Symptoms of Depression Are Not Just Changes in Mood

The mind and body have many different ways of expressing depression. Often times the symptoms of depression are mood-based such as hopelessness, feelings that one is unworthy, and suicidal ideation. Although those are symptoms related to mood that are often found with depression, it can also be represented through the physical changes and not just in a person’s mood. The depression symptoms can easily be managed, just as any illness or sickness.

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“Many people suffering from depression never get help because they don’t realize that pain may be a symptom of depression. The importance of understanding the physical symptoms of depression is that treating depression can help with the pain–and treating pain can help with depression.” – Melissa Breyer

Some common physical symptoms:

• sleep disturbance – Hard time going to sleep/staying asleep or a person beings to over sleep
• change in weight/appetite – Increased eating causes weight gain (especially in women)
• headache/body-aches – Chronic pain in back, joints, and muscles aches. Chest pain can also be a factor but that needs to be checked out immediately because pain in the chest could be a sign of other major medical issues.

Pain and depression often go hand in hand. Many of the same neural pathways that control pain signals also involve neurotransmitters that help regulate mood such as serotonin and norepinephrine. According to Health.harvard.edu; “When [mood] regulation fails, pain is intensified along with sadness, hopelessness, and anxiety. And chronic pain, like chronic depression, can alter the functioning of the nervous system and perpetuate itself.”

You just have to constantly be aware of what is happening within your body because a person’s mind and body does work independently of one another. What is happening with your mood and emotions will manifest in your body and vice versus. The body can impact a person’s moods and emotion.