Depression can be insidious, affecting people in different ways with warning signs that aren\u2019t always obvious.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes you are the last to know,\u201d Dr. Samantha Boardman, a New York City psychiatrist, tells TODAY.com.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe people around you, the people who you spend time with are the ones who are aware of it before you are.\u201d<\/p>\n
Almost 1 in 5 U.S. adults, 19%, say they currently have depression or are being treated for it, a rate hovering near the historical high, Gallup reported<\/a>. Depression rates have \u201crisen dramatically\u201d among younger adults, it noted.<\/p>\n Feeling sad for two weeks or longer to the point where it interferes with everyday life is a major symptom, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/a>.<\/p>\n But there can be more subtle warning signs of depression, Boardman says. <\/p>\n She practices positive psychology, which focuses on optimism, resilience and post-traumatic growth.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really looking at those other questions \u2014 not just what\u2019s wrong, but what\u2019s strong?\u201d says Boardman, who helps people find wellness within mental illness.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is somebody\u2019s strength? Tell me about a time you were at your best. How can you do more of that? Kind of getting people out of their heads rather than that self-focus and self-immersion that I think sometimes modern therapy is very focused on.\u201d<\/p>\n When it comes to depression, Boardman doesn\u2019t want people to start over-diagnosing themselves. There\u2019s a difference between sadness and a depressive episode, she emphasizes. There are also different types of depression<\/a>.<\/p>\n It\u2019s important to look for a cluster of symptoms and a marked change from a person\u2019s normal behavior, rather than making a quick diagnosis based on a little snapshot of a day, she cautions.<\/p>\n \u201cOne has to be very careful about quickly putting a label on something and saying, \u2018This is who I am, this is what I have,\u2019\u201d Boardman says.<\/p>\n Knowing what she knows, here are the subtle symptoms of depression the psychiatrist would monitor in herself:<\/p>\n Change in Appetite<\/p>\n This could mean eating more or eating less than usual. \u201cAm I forgetting about food?\u201d Boardman might ask herself.<\/p>\n Change in Sleep Patterns<\/p>\n Sleeping more or sleeping less could both be signs of depression. <\/p>\n \u201cUsually, I sleep eight hours a night, no problem, and for the past months, I can\u2019t get to sleep or I\u2019m staying in bed. I just feel like lounging in bed all day. I feel like bed rotting<\/a>,\u201d the doctor says.<\/p>\n Lack of Interest in Things You Used to Enjoy<\/p>\n The loss of pleasure in activities that once brought joy is known as anhedonia<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cSomebody (might) say, \u2018Do you want to go to a concert? I\u2019ve got tickets for Harry Styles,\u2019 and you love Harry Styles, but you just don\u2019t feel like it,\u201d Boardman says.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause it\u2019s the absence of something rather than the addition of something, it\u2019s sort of a hard thing to notice. That\u2019s sometimes where friends or loved ones will notice that in you.\u201d<\/p>\n Social Withdrawal<\/p>\n Are you pulling away from friends and family, or canceling plans? Boardman calls this a \u201chuge\u201d warning sign.<\/p>\n Irritation<\/p>\n Feeling frustrated, irritated, agitated or easily on edge can be a clue.<\/p>\n Having a Hard Time Concentrating<\/p>\n \u201cI have five emails to return at work, and it takes me usually 10 minutes to do that. It\u2019s taking me an hour,\u201d Boardman says.<\/p>\n Self-Neglect<\/p>\n If somebody who typically likes to present herself in a certain way to the world is suddenly not doing that, it could be a warning sign. An example is a person who has always found it important to have beautifully coiffed hair and manicured nails, but is now showing up with unwashed hair or chipped nails.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a change in their presentation in the world,\u201d Boardman notes.<\/p>\n Poor Posture<\/p>\n The psychiatrist sometimes sees patients holding themselves differently, describing it as \u201cfolding in\u201d on themselves. People with depressive symptoms can have a slumped posture, studies<\/a> have found.<\/p>\n They may also slow down, like they\u2019re \u201cmoving through molasses,\u201d or speak more slowly or with a softer voice, Boardman says.<\/p>\n Rumination<\/p>\n This means dwelling on negative thoughts and feelings, and replaying them on a loop, according to the American Psychiatric Association<\/a>. It can be an \u201con ramp to depression,\u201d Boardman warns.<\/p>\n \u201cYou find yourself just rehashing, rehashing, rehashing something,\u201d the doctor notes.<\/p>\n \u201cYou get sort of stuck. \u2026 Why did this happen? What\u2019s going on? Why am I feeling this way?\u201d<\/p>\n Best Self-Help for Depression<\/p>\n Depression can be treated with therapy and medication. But there are also simple but powerful antidotes to the milder form of depression known as dysthymia<\/a>, the psychiatrist says.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen this sort of does sneak up on you, the response is to shut down, to withdraw, to cancel your plans,\u201d Boardman says.<\/p>\n \u201cWe often hear: Be yourself \u2026 (but) this is exactly where you need to do the very opposite of the thing that you feel like doing.\u201d<\/p>\n Walk<\/p>\n