10 Gifs that Perfectly Sum Up Common Symptoms of Depression

Ah, good old depression. So many of us struggle with it, each in our own way. But there are a few facets of depression that many of us have in common. Below are some of the most widely experienced symptoms of depression, as expressed in the form of GIFs. Not sure if you have depression? Scroll through these bad boys and if you happen to find your head nodding at more than one or two, you may be in the depression club. We don’t have t-shirts, but it’s not as bad as you think. There is support available for people with depression such as therapy, medication, peer support, and much more. If you think you might be experiencing depression and you aren’t currently being treated, contact your doctor or therapist. If you don’t have a therapist and you live in CA, you can browse our licensed professionals here.Now, onto some wonderfully sad GIFS!

Loss of interest or pleasure in activities

The most widely cited symptom of depression is a loss in interest in things you previously enjoyed. Many depressed people feel just like this unimpressed girl at a football game: like everyone around them is enjoying something that they just don’t (or can’t) GET. Even if that something is an activity they used to love and enjoy regularly.

Anxiety

People don’t always realize that anxiety can exist on its own, but is also a very common symptom of depression. Anxiety makes us question everything we do, everything that might happen, everything that didn’t happen, and everything in between. Anxiety can exist in our body as general nervousness, sometimes feeling like there’s a storm brewing in our stomach. It can present itself as social anxiety, making us unsure if we are acting strange or if people like us (hence, what do I do with my hands?!). It can also show up as existential dread, creating irrational fears around the future, death and our fate.

General discontent

Depression often makes people feel like there is a cloud of “ugh-ness” over their life. The shirt doesn’t fit right. The eggs taste weird. All of your coworkers are just the slightest bit annoying. This may seem like a small symptom compared to others, but everything feeling a bit “off” can eventually take a real toll on happiness and well-being.

Insomnia

Nothing better than a little insomnia on top of all the other things going on in your life! Insomnia is that feeling when you’re exhausted and so excited to get into bed, but the minute you close your eyes, every single thing you regret starts to play on a fast-paced loop. For anyone who doesn’t have insomnia: yes, it really DOES feel like there’s a man in a mask shooting fire out of bagpipes, except instead of fire it’s everything awkward thing you’ve ever said in your life from the time you were born. Fun!

Excess sleepiness

On the other hand, depression can also make people very, very sleepy. And not sleepy in a I-just-had-a-productive-day-wow-I’m-sleepy, kind of way. More in a I-just-slept-20-hours-and-could-still-sleep-10-more, kind of way. For depressed people, sleep can often be a release from the constant discomfort that is living with a mental illness. Goodnight.

Social isolation

I’m not sure there’s anyone who knows more about social isolation than Smeagle. For anyone who hasn’t seen Lord of the Rings, Smeagle is a creature who finds a special ring that makes him a bit socially inept, so much that he climbs into the mountains and doesn’t interact with anybody for centuries. (Sidenote: this is a huge oversimplification and possibly not fully accurate, sorry LOTR fans.) Sometimes people with depression socially isolate because of the anxiety they feel, but they also isolate because of feeling overwhelmed with other people’s problems, being physically tired, or just simply not having the motivation. We feel you, Smeagle!

Physical pain

Physical pain is not a widely known symptom of depression but it is so, SO real! Common physical symptoms of depression are decreased pain tolerance, back pain & aching muscles, headaches, stomach pain, and digestive problems.

You drink more alcohol than usual

Ok, so this isn’t a huge shocker, but yes — depression often makes us drink more often and in larger quantities. Why? Because when you’re drinking, you’re having FUN and when you’re having FUN you can’t feel sad, right? Wrong. Excessive drinking can often lead to deeper problems and exacerbate the symptoms of depression we already have. So put down that extra large wine glass, Debra! A normal sized glass will do.

You forgot to shower (again)

This is another one of those symptoms that’s not always widely discussed. But those of us who live with depression very often struggle with completing basic hygiene. Everyone has a different reason, but this struggle many times results from a lack of self-respect and motivation to be our best. Depression is known to rob its sufferers from the basic self-love that pushes us to brush our teeth, launder our clothes, or simply take a shower. If your depression creates issues around your personal hygiene, you are not alone!

You can’t make up your mind

I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO WRITE FOR THIS ONE!

Just kidding, I do, but I wanted to give you an example of not being able to make up your mind. Those of us with depression don’t really need examples, though, because so many of us struggle with making up our mind every day! Not being able to choose between bacon and sausage for your breakfast sandwich every morning may seem small, but frequent indecision is a super common feature of living with depression.

If you aren’t currently being treated for depression and you said, “oh, wow, that’s me!” to more than a few of these, it definitely could be time to contact your doctor or therapist and ask for a diagnosis. Working with a specialist to understand whether or not you have depression and then creating a plan for treatment is super important because — guess what? Recovery from depression and the majority of these symptoms is TOTALLY possible! You’ll just need a little help along the way. If you decide that remote therapy might be the best route for your recovery and you are based in California, feel free to browse our licensed therapists here and schedule a free 10 minute chat at any time! If you’re not sure about this whole therapy thing and want to learn more about it in general, click here.With the right help, you could soon be like this dancing man. Full of joy, enjoying life’s pleasures, and, most importantly, feeling like yourself again.