The physical signs of depression
Many people misinterpret the physical signs of depression. We have outlined the most common physical symptoms to look out for, and the support that's available to you here at Priory.
What are the physical signs of depression?
Depression is something that can impact both the body and mind. While many people understand and recognise the emotional symptoms, many misinterpret the physical signs of depression and believe they stem from illnesses related to the body rather than the mind. This misinterpretation can result in people with depression remaining undiagnosed and not getting the treatment they need in order to feel better.
If you're worried about someone, or think you may be experiencing depression, this blog focuses on the physical signs of depression. Many people misinterpret the physical signs of depression. We have outlined the most common physical symptoms to look out for, and the support that's available to you here at Priory.
Understanding the physical signs of depression
Unexplained aches and pains
This can include joint and muscle pain, headaches and back pain, and can range from mild aches to extreme and debilitating pain. These aches and pains can leave you feeling distracted and irritable, stopping you from being able to enjoy activities, sports and hobbies you once took part in.
As depression and pain share the same nerve pathways and brain chemicals, it's thought that this connection is one of the reasons why people experience pain when dealing with depression.
Tiredness and fatigue
Depression can leave you feeling exhausted, regardless of how long you've slept for. This can happen for a number of reasons, including:
- The psychological burden of depression
- Varying levels of dopamine and serotonin impacting your energy levels
- Sleep problems, which cause you to feel drained during the day
- Using drugs or alcohol in an attempt to manage depression symptoms
If you're using drugs or alcohol to dull or put a stop to some of your symptoms, it's so important that you speak to a healthcare professional to seek a healthier way of managing your depression. Using drugs and alcohol is a risky and dangerous coping mechanism, which can impact your health and lead to long-term addiction issues.
Changes to your psychomotor activity
One of the physical signs of depression is the slowing of your psychomotor activity - the tasks that your body and brain work together to complete. This can cause you to speak, think and move a little slower than usual. This can be seen in the following ways:
- Speech – greater pauses in speech, quieter in volume, less articulation, more monotonous and delayed responses in conversations
- Eye movement – a fixed stare and reduced eye contact
- Facial movement – a flat expression, seeming not to react to emotions
- Bodily movement – slower movement of your body, where you struggle with fine motor tasks such as writing, doing up buttons, zips or shoelaces and handling money. You may also feel weighed down when walking or changing positions during the day, and have a slow reaction time
Reduced sex drive
While it's normal for people to experience fluctuations in their sex drive, the complete loss of it can be one of the physical signs of depression. It can often be a symptom that people don’t want to talk about or attempt to address, due to feeling embarrassed. But if it's something you're experiencing, it's important to discuss it as it's a physical sign of depression that can severely impact your self-confidence and lead to issues within your relationship.
Appetite changes
Depression may lead to a person gaining or losing weight, and there are a number of reasons why this can happen:
- The sheer exhaustion you feel can reduce your motivation to cook. This, in turn, can impact on the amount and types of food you eat
- As depression is associated with changes in hormones such as cortisol and serotonin, these can lead to experiences of stress. This may then cause you to overeat or undereat in an attempt to manage the difficult emotions
The changes in appearance caused by over or undereating may then cause you to feel less self-confident and worsen your symptoms of depression, often due to the societal pressure around how we look and what we eat.
Digestion issues
Another physical sign of depression is gastrointestinal or digestion issues, causing you to feel nauseous all the time, or experience constipation or diarrhoea.
This symptom is often caused by depression changing your response to stress, as mentioned above, which in turn changes how the body processes food. Also, changes in appetite can lead to experiences of nausea, constipation and diarrhoea.
Treatment for depression
If you're experiencing physical signs of depression, it's recommended that you speak to a healthcare professional so that you can start to take the right steps towards feeling better.
You may feel comfortable starting your journey by talking to your GP. Alternatively, you can come to a Priory hospital or wellbeing centre for an assessment, diagnosis and depression treatment.
Your initial appointment or appointments will be carried out by one of our specialists, all of whom are highly experienced in assessing depression symptoms. We'll then work with you to determine the best course of action, which may include a combination of medication and therapy to deal with both the emotional and physical signs of depression, and help you to enjoy a better quality of life going forward.
