Is depression the same as sadness? How do you know when you’re depressed? Can depression affect your physical health?

Well in this blog I’m going to answer all these questions for you, so buckle up and get ready to learn the true signs of depression and how it can affect your physical health.

Sadness is when you feel sad for some reason maybe a breakup or you get in a fight with a relative. It may last a week or two but then it starts to fade away. Depression on the other hand is a much more intense feeling. Depression is when you feel like you are in a black hole, your life is meaningless, nothing matters anymore even your basic needs: food and sex, are meaningless now.

There are different causes of depression. Some of them could be abuse (physical, sexual or emotional), death or a loss, genes (sometimes a family history of depression can increase the probability), major event, and sometimes a physical health condition can trigger depression.

Here’s a little test for you to see if you may need to refer to a professional to know if you suffer from depression: ask yourself how many times you felt down those last two weeks and how often have you felt little interest or pleasure in doing things, how was your sleeping routine and how was your appetite, have you felt a lack of energy?

Now after defining depression, its symptoms, what’s behind it and how to detect it, it’s time to talk about how depression affects our physical health.

We already talked about insomnia and eating disorders: depression affects those habits, decreasing our immune system strength. Depression can lead to trouble with memory or decisions, constricted blood vessels, increased pain sensitivity and increased risk of heart attack.

Therefore, YES. Depression can and most probably will affect your physical health.

The human body is a complicated system, but it is in harmony: anything can affect anything. Looking after your mental health should be your priority. Book your FREE counseling session today with Counsela App.