Here's How Depression Can Take A Toll On Your Body: Simple Tips To Deal With It

People suffering from depression may experience changes in appetite.

Depression is a mental disorder and affects how you feel and can also cause changes in your body. If not treated on time depression can have a negative impact on your physical health and well-being. Feeling low or anxious at times is a part of life, but if these feelings are constant and bothering you all the time they could be the early symptoms of depression. Normally we feel depressed or low when we constantly struggle with financial stress, work issues or loss in our lives, and a little of it is absolutely fine. But if it goes beyond the little, such as feeling hopeless, inferior, pessimistic, helpless and worthless, then the depression can be a major issue which needs urgent attention and support.

Depression is a mental disorder and affects how you feel and can also cause changes in your body.
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Some common symptoms of depression are low in energy, inactive, not motivated to do anything, low sex drive, suicidal thoughts, constant negative feelings, inadequate sleep, lack of appetite, harming yourself and low-esteem.

Also read: Dealing With Depression? These Small Dietary Changes Could Improve Your Mental Health

Here's how depression can affect your body:

1. Weight loss or gain:

People suffering from depression may experience changes in appetite. This may lead to unintended weight loss or gain. Excessive weight gain can cause many health problems like diabetes and heart disease. On the other hand, being underweight can lead to unhealthy heart, affect fertility, weak immune system and cause fatigue. A person suffering from depression may eat more or eat less, both effecting the body in a bad way.

People suffering from depression may experience changes in appetite.
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2. Heart disease:

Depression or anxiety can reduce a person's motivation to make positive lifestyle choices. Also, it is obvious that the person suffering may take a lot of stress. Their risk of heart disease increases when they eat a poor diet, take excessive stress, inadequate sleep and have a sedentary lifestyle.

Depression or anxiety can reduce a person's motivation to make positive lifestyle choices.
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Also read: Reading Benefits Mental Health, Reduces Depression And Anxiety

3. Digestive disorders:

People with depression often go through stomach or digestion ailments, such as diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, constipation or irritable bowel syndrome. The primary cause of these disorders is unhealthy diet and lack of any physical activity.

4. Constantly tired:

Depression may always make you feel tired and low on energy. These are the most common effects of depression. The person would not feel like going anywhere whether it is work, meeting someone, social gathering or even workout. Always exhausted and lethargic can make your simple day-to-day tasks even more complicated. It may be difficult for them to get out of bed in the morning and doing even the simplest of daily activities, like bathing or buying grocery from the local store.

5. Sleep patterns:

Your sleep habits are affected by this mental condition depression. Their may be times when you feel sleepy all the time or may not feel sleepy at all. Disturbed sleep and irregular sleep patterns may affect your overall health.

Disturbed sleep and irregular sleep patterns may affect your overall health.
Photo Credit: iStock

Simple tips to deal with depression: 

• Try taking support from people around you, family, friends and relatives
• Keep yourself engaged in some or the other activity. For instance, join a dance or music class, go for yoga, watch a movie or read a book
• Take adequate sleep
• Manage your stress
• Eat a healthy and balanced diet
• Try to keep away the negative thoughts

Also read: Dealing With Anxiety And Depression? Here's Why You Should Try Cooking!

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.