No matter how old you are, losing a parent can be heartbreaking and traumatizing. All of us deal with a loss of a loved one differently and experience different kinds of emotions. It’s quite common for a person who has recently lost a parent to feel angry at one moment and then feel sad the very next moment. It’s also pretty normal to experience some signs of depression right after you lose someone close to you. But if that feeling lingers and begins to affect you both socially and occupationally, you might be suffering from depression. Here are a couple of signs that can indicate that you might suffer from similar symptoms.
#1: Issues while Sleeping and Eating
People who suffer from depression tend to have troubles falling asleep. Even once they do, they can’t stay asleep for too long. There are also some depressed people who sleep too much and refuse to get out of bed. They also either gain or lose quite significant amount of weight. This is the case because depressed people tend to either eat too much or not eat enough. Of course, all of this is normal in the first few weeks after the loss of your parent. But if these issues persist more than that and start impacting your relationship and career, you might be suffering from depression.
#2: Mood Changes
When they are depressed, both children and adults display irritability, sadness and anger. And after you lose a parent, it’s quite normal for these emotions to start mixing. This results in mood changes that can seriously disrupt your everyday life. If overwhelming feelings of irritability stays with you for more than a few weeks, chances are you are suffering from depression. If your mood changes are starting to affect your relationship and career, seeking professional help might be necessary.
#3: Isolation
Loss of a parent can also affect you socially. This is the case with both children and adults. Usually, persons suffering from depression will isolate themselves and not return any phone calls from friends and family members. Depressed people have a lot of trouble trying to maintain healthy relationships. That’s why it’s quite usual for someone who has recently lost a parent to isolate himself and put all the other relationships on hold for a couple of weeks. If this is the case with you, remember that this craving for isolation shouldn’t last for more than a month. If it does, you might be suffering from depression.
#4: Changes in Your Everyday Life
Another thing a lot of people tend to do after they lose a parent is start making changes in their everyday lives. Death of a parent can either inspire you to change for the better or start following in your parent’s footsteps. Losing a parent might also have you start thinking about your own death. Experts at Familywills say that a large number of their clients have contacted them for the first time right after losing a parent. Still, losing a parent can also cause you to make some wrong decisions which will affect your entire life. In that case, you might be in need of professional help.
#5: Suicidal Thoughts
People who are depressed also tend to feel hopeless and suicidal. This is the most dangerous sign that you might be suffering from depression. Feeling suicidal really is a big deal and it should never be ignored. If you start having suicidal thoughts you should immediately dial suicide hotline. Even if this feeling goes away, you should still contact a therapist and make an appointment. Even right after the loss of a parent, suicidal thoughts should always been taken seriously and dealt with as soon as possible.
If you’re experiencing any of these signs even few weeks after you’ve lost a parent, it’s always a good idea to talk to a therapist and try to deal with these emotions in the right way.
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