THE POSITIVITY ISSUE
THE WARNING SIGNS
KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THE FOLLOWING !
IN YOURSELF …
If you ’ re completely , totally and utterly honest with yourself , you know if you ’ re feeling down . And , again , sometimes it ’ s completely normal . If you can link the way you feel to something that ’ s happened , you ' ll at least have some context . If there ’ s no real reason , or that feeling is lingering longer than you think it should , you need to be ultra aware .
According to Beyond Blue , common symptoms of depression that you can recognise in yourself are :
● Feeling overwhelmed
● Feeling guilty
● Feeling irritable or frustrated
● Lacking confidence or being indecisive
● Feeling disappointed
● Feeling pessimistic
● Feeling sad or miserable
● Thinking ‘ I ’ m a failure ’, ‘ It ’ s my fault ’, ‘ People would be better off without me ’
● Being tired all the time
● Being sick and run down
● Enduring headaches or muscle pains
● Churning stomach
● Not able to sleep well
● Loss or change of appetite
● Significant weight loss or gain
By being aware of the symptoms and acting EARLY on them , you can take some positive steps to address them . Let them linger , however , and things will likely only get worse .
IN YOUR MATES ...
We all have bad days . Sometimes we ’ re just not in the right frame of mind . Maybe something ’ s happened at home to throw us off the track , maybe it ’ s just one of those days . But if you notice one of your mates is having a few of those days , the right thing to do is to take note , and ask them what ’ s up .
Some key things to look out for , according to Beyond Blue , are :
● They don ’ t want to go out ( maybe they ’ re side-stepping any social occasions )
● They ’ re not getting things done at work
● They ’ re not engaging with you as normal
● They are relying more on alcohol or sedatives
● They ’ re not doing their usual enjoyable activities
● They ’ re unable to concentrate
The warning signs in yourself are , of course , just as applicable to anyone else – so you may notice your mate being sick and run down , more irritable than usual , or maybe there ’ s been a change in appetite ( turning down Friday pies when they ’ d always , always have one , if not two ). Maybe they ’ ve lost a lot of weight ( especially if they ’ re turning down pies !), or put a stack on . Any changes are worth noting .
→
Just be aware , that ’ s all we ’ re saying . Notice what ’ s going on .
Keep an eye on yourself and your mates . Because if you don ’ t , it ’ s very , very easy for someone to be added to those brutal statistics .
12 GEMCELL . COM . AU AUG – SEP 2021