Depression is not just a mental health condition. Although depression is not technically considered a physical illness, it can have a serious detrimental effect on your physical health.
If you’ve been struggling with depression, you might be wondering why you’re feeling physically unwell, in addition to dealing with the emotional symptoms of this condition. Depression affects your mental and physical health because your mind and body are connected through your nervous system. Perhaps you’ve even been to the doctor because you worried that something was physically wrong with you, only for your tests to come back with everything looking normal. Here’s how depression can affect your physical health.
Appetite Changes
Maybe you’ve been eating more than usual lately in an effort to find comfort and relief from your symptoms through food. Alternatively, you might feel like depression has dramatically reduced your appetite. Eating might feel like a chore.
Even your favorite foods might not tempt you anymore. You have little motivation to cook or prepare healthy meals for yourself. Your loved ones may have expressed concerns about your weight gain or loss. You try to brush them off, but deep down, you wish you could enjoy food as you used to, before depression set in.
Digestive Issues
You may be grappling with digestive issues, even if your diet hasn’t changed much. Perhaps you’ve been feeling frequently nauseous, or having gastrointestinal issues. As a result, you might dread going out to eat. You may have tried making minor diet changes to see if eliminating certain foods would solve the issue, yet nothing has worked.
Fatigue
Depression can be exhausting. Previously, you might have lived a very active lifestyle and rushed from one activity to another. Now, it can feel like a major accomplishment if you manage to get out of bed. You repeatedly cancel plans, which prompts your friends to check in and ask what’s wrong. In response, you might make excuses to avoid opening up about your mental health.
No matter how you try to muster up the energy to fulfill all of your obligations, you feel drained. You constantly feel guilty for having so little energy, and you don’t know why you can’t keep up with everyone else.
Sleeping Too Much or Too Little
Because you’re fatigued, you might assume that getting more sleep will fix the problem. But it doesn’t seem to matter how much time you spend in bed. You always wake up feeling just as tired as you were the night before, and you end up taking naps throughout the day whenever you have downtime.
On the other hand, you may be struggling to fall asleep each night. Negative thoughts might be keeping you awake for long hours. Even when you do manage to fall asleep, you’re restless, and you might toss and turn, waking up several times throughout the night. You wish you could sleep soundly, but depression has made it impossible.
Physical Aches and Pains
Maybe you’ve been dealing with near-daily headaches, back pains, or general muscle aches. Depression can cause you to feel tense, and you might be subconsciously tightening your muscles throughout most of the day without realizing it. Additionally, a lack of sleep could be contributing to your frequent headaches.
You may even be getting sick more often. Coming down with frequent colds and other minor illnesses can be frustrating, and these illnesses only exacerbate your exhaustion and other physical symptoms.
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The physical and emotional symptoms of depression can take a toll on your wellbeing. Contact our practice to learn more about how depression counseling can help you address the root causes.