[puzzclar]

How do you tell when you are about to go into a depression mode? I'm trying to find out for myself but want some imput from others. Since I haven't found an answer, and I some times don't realize that I am down.

[Fresia]

I appreciated this poem about not quitting it came a perfect time. Thank you.

Depression for me means I start sleeping more; my thoughts are more negative and very critical; sadness becomes pervasive and I become tearful sometimes numb though too; I have little to no hope; I withdraw from events and people; and my diet changes. These are the things I look for as warning signs.

[ifeeltheweight]

It's the same for me Fresia. I withdraw from society. I go to work but am not engaged. I want to sleep as a means of relief. I also get a short temper. Mostly want to be alone.

[toniahoward]

My way to know is when I withdrawal, become very sensitive and little things annoy me...

Like previous posters, withdrawing from others is a big sign. Sleeping more, or just spending too much time in bed. Feelings of hopelessness, questioning the purpose of life. Lots of negative thinking and being easily annoyed as well.

[MoonTurtle]

Some common warning indicators for me are: feeling irritated at everything for no reason, having little/no appetite, not wanting to do things I had made plans to do, feeling tired all day. Then, it escalates into things like crying a lot, wanting to hide from the world, unmotivated to do basic daily tasks, avoiding friends and social situations, ruminating/dwelling on negative thoughts, feeling hopeless about the future.

If I were a cartoon person, I might be walking around with a dark rain cloud over my head, or staying in bed all day hiding under the covers. That pretty much sums it up.

[rawwar]

I try to practice mindfulness, so just as a habit, I keep pretty close tabs on my thinking and engage in re-framing and such when I catch myself engaging in distorted or excessively negative thinking. It's such a habit that I do it automatically w/out really thinking too much about it. However, every so often I realize that I'm having to re-frame or counter my thoughts much more frequently than usual. There have even been times when I've wondered if I was engaging in some weird form of self-induced brainwashing. When that starts to happen, it's a big ole red flag that I'm in danger of falling into depression.

Also if I start to notice that I'm not enjoying my kids, perhaps even trying to avoid dealing with them, that's a big red flag as well.

[justjoanie]

Like the other posters, I tend to withdraw. I will withdraw from even my family. The sleep problem can go either way. Sometimes I sleep alot, but then at night, when i should be sleeping, I can't seem to get my eyes closed.
My eating habits change. Most of the time, I personally will eat more than normal, and it's usually all junk. Sometimes, though I don't want to eat at all.
I also overreact about stupid little things. And god forbid something big happen, I completely lose it. That's what happened with this last episode. A big change came about, and I just couldn't handle it.
If you see yourself being different than usual, in just about any way, you need to examine yourself, and start working towards not allowing yourself to "fall into the pit" as I put it.

[puzzclar]

Thanks everyone. I think I'm starting to see a few more hints as to where it all begins. But if anyone knows how to get out of bed in the morning, wether you want to or not, I would love help with that. Since I think that is one of my warning signs.

Originally Posted by puzzclar

Thanks everyone. I think I'm starting to see a few more hints as to where it all begins. But if anyone knows how to get out of bed in the morning, wether you want to or not, I would love help with that. Since I think that is one of my warning signs.

One thing a worker here suggested is to make a list of "Reasons to Get up in the Morning". I might start the list soon, and I'll probably be surprised with the amount of reasons I come up with! Maybe this would help you too?

[(JD)]

I think it's easier to realize one is becoming depressed if they are aware of the basic cognitive distortions such as "I can't do anything right" or "Nothing ever works out for me" type thinking or talking. You can check them out here: http://forums.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=108173

I know I'm due for a mind check-up when I begin to think: No good deed goes unpunished. Unfortunately, it's usually due to some small mistake I make here at PC that begins the spiral.

It takes 30 seconds for a thought to become solid. In those 30 seconds it's still changeable ... so when you realize you just thought something negative, change it and the brain will register the positive or the change thought instead. Hang tough.