What are the symptoms of depression that manifest in your body?

The physical symptoms of depression are a way for our brain to warn us that something is wrong. This complex disorder not only alters mood and thoughts. If there is something common, it is the clear impact it has on our body, bringing us pain, fatigue, inflammation, sleep problems, etc. Few conditions alter our entire person so intensely.

Mental pain exists and is truly responsible for many of our physical illnesses. However, it is easier for us to say “My back, my head or my stomach hurts” than to say out loud something as dramatic as “My life hurts.” Because if there is one thing we do know, it is that our reality is often highly painful.

Failures, losses, disappointments, not knowing what to do or how to react to something bring suffering. Even more, it is common to experience deep emotional anguish without form and without a concrete origin, a persistent discomfort for which we do not know how to explain or a specific trigger. Depression, as we see, has a thousand forms and so many reliefs that it is as if it were a fingerprint.. No two are alike.

For example, there is an abundance of that very exhausting combination where anxiety intermingles with depression.n. There, patients usually define this state as being scared and tremendously tired at the same time. Like wanting to be alone and fearing loneliness at the same time. Like wanting to escape and feeling paralyzed at the same time.

Living with depression or any other disorder is not easy for anyone. However, delving into the anatomy of these conditions is very necessary to better understand what we are facing.

Physical symptoms of depression (painful body)

depression hurts. We could define it in many ways: a paralyzing state, negative and even harmful thoughts, anguish, fear, sadness, apathy, discouragement… However, it is not common to hear from anyone that definition where it is revealed to us that depression is above all else. feel pain, where physical suffering (in addition to emotional) is real.

Studies such as the one carried out at the University of Texas Medicine in 2004 support this same information.: physical symptoms are common in depression and, in fact, all of these symptoms are evidenced by pain or some organic alteration.

So much so that, as Dr. Madhukar H. Trivedi, responsible for this work, reveals to us, A large part of the patients go to their primary care centers for that headache, that back pain or those sleep or digestive problems without knowing that all of these experiences are the physical symptoms of depression. Let’s see below which are the most recurrent symptoms.

Tiredness, feeling of heaviness and general pain

Everything is heavy, everything hurts, the body becomes slow and it is like living inside an oppressive diving suit.. This is undoubtedly one of the characteristics experienced by many people with a depressive disorder.

Likewise, as Dr. Steven Targum, director of Boston Hospital, explains in a study, depressed people do not even benefit from restful sleep. Even if they sleep 12 hours, they will still feel exhausted.

Back pain

If we had to talk about a classic pain associated with depression it would undoubtedly be back pain. This discomfort even surpasses headaches. If we now ask ourselves the reason for this relationship, we can refer to a study by Emory University carried out in 2016. These are the conclusions:

There is a link between inflammatory pathways and the neurocircuits of the brain when it experiences feelings of alarm, fear or distress.A reaction occurs, a weakening of the immune system and an inflammatory response that is located mainly in the spine, in the nerves and vertebrae of the back.

Increased sensitivity to pain

Another physical symptom of depression is our pain threshold. Suddenly Everything is painful, a touch, a slight blow, changes in temperature, different types of clothing... The skin and our receptors are more sensitive and we suffer more.

Digestive problems

All types of digestive disorders often occur with depression:

Cramps.Slow digestion.Irritable colon.Stomach pain.Feeling of fullness…

As a study from Harvard University tells us, we cannot forget that there is an intimate relationship between our brain and the digestive system. Factors such as stress, anxiety, fears, anxieties and sadness cause a series of alterations that start from the esophagus to the colon.

Eye problems

This information is curious. Another physical symptom of depression is the perception of contrast. It is a small vision dysfunction where the person has difficulty focusing on things, seeing them not only more blurry, but also experiencing a slight difficulty in differentiating black and white.

Studies such as the one carried out by Harvard University tell us that When someone is depressed, the world is more monochrome and above all, blue and gray colors abound. This is a very striking fact that many patients who suffer from this psychological condition agree with.

In conclusion, As we have seen, the physical symptoms of depression are multiple. However, let us remember that this series of discomforts or peculiarities must be accompanied by a series of emotional and cognitive alterations in order to form the clinical picture of depression.

The typology and the way to deal with it will be something that a professional will decide. Let us also remember that whatever type of depression we suffer from, they are all treatable. As soon as you experience improvement, most of these physical symptoms will disappear. When our mind is calm, the body stops screaming to let itself go in tune with our emotional well-being.

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