The four early signs of depression can be summarized as follows:
1. Low mood: Patients with depression may exhibit significant and persistent low mood in the early stages, feeling depressed, sad, helpless, or empty, losing interest and happiness in life. This emotional state usually does not improve with changes in the external environment and may be accompanied by expressions and gestures such as long sighs and furrowed brows.
2. Decreased cognitive function: Patients may experience symptoms such as memory loss, lack of concentration, and delayed reactions, feeling that their thinking has become slow and difficult to handle problems flexibly and engage in creative thinking as usual. This may lead to a decrease in learning and work efficiency, as well as situations such as confusion in daily life.
3. Sleep disorders: Early stage patients with depression often experience sleep disorders, including difficulty falling asleep, early awakening, shallow sleep, or excessive sleep. These issues will further affect the patient's energy and emotional state, forming a vicious cycle.
4. Physical symptoms: In addition to the psychological and cognitive changes mentioned above, patients with depression may also experience a series of physical discomfort symptoms, such as decreased appetite, weight loss, physical fatigue, headaches, muscle pain, etc. These symptoms may not have obvious organic causes, but they can significantly affect the patient's quality of life.
The above symptoms may not occur in all patients with depression, and everyone's symptoms may vary. When similar symptoms occur, it is recommended to seek medical attention promptly for comprehensive psychological assessment and treatment.