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It’s hard to tell where to draw the line between the so-called “normal” sh*t days and legit depression, yeah?

Well, I agree. That’s why I clicked into this video. We all fall victim to “bad days,” so how do we decide if someone we love or kinda-sorta know or even us, ourselves, need some help?

I think the “fixer” in me was curious and wanted to add this knowledge as a booster to my save-the-day kit. But I also am not afraid to admit that I was curious for myself.

“Depression is a very serious mental illness, but it is also very easy for it to go unnoticed for long periods of time. Many people tend to downplay their depression, confusing it for simply having a “bad day.”

And because of this, many people are suffering from undiagnosed depression. So, to shed more light on this topic and hopefully give you useful general guidance, we made this video for you!” ~ Psych2Go

In the video (below), they mentioned six habits that could possibly be signs of depression:

1. Faking smiles and pretending to be okay.

2. Eating too much or too little.

3. Neglecting personal hygiene.

4. In need of constant distraction.

5. Always think of the worst-case scenario.

6. Losing concentration and focus.

I found these more interesting than some other run-of-the-mill videos that mention fatigue or low mood. Those can definitely be symptoms, but these are more obscure. They’re something you (like me) might not necessarily notice.

I’m not saying that if you’re a pessimist who forgets to eat the leftovers in the fridge and decides to pick up three new hobbies in the last month that you’re “depressed.” But it’s something to think about. It’s something we can use to offer support for ourselves and others.

Personally, I found #4 and #6 the most intriguing. It’s things I know I’ve done (mostly the “seeking distractions” part) in the past after soul-crushing relationships or the deep cuts of family drama.

And it’s not that this immediately means, “Kate, you need medication.” (Not that that would be a bad thing.) But I’ll be damned if it didn’t point to a glaring fact: pain was hiding within me—something was off. And maybe it wasn’t full-blown, curled-up-in-bed-for-days depression. Maybe it was a cavernous kind of sadness that teetered on the edge of depression. I genuinely don’t know.

But the more we can delve into the signs and raise awareness, the more we can help each other and (hopefully) ourselves.

May it be of benefit: