How to recognize depression signs after the loss of a parent

Losing a parent is painful and agonizing regardless of the age. Unfortunately, people who didn’t experience this can hardly begin to comprehend the complicated emotions of someone who lost their parent. Not everyone becomes the victim of depression and therefore it’s important to know what counts as a normal grieving process and what actually is considered a depressed state of mind. The closest friends and family members will be able to see whether the grieving process is turning into depression after around a month. No one is able to forget or ever get over the loss of a parent, but they should at least be able to return to their regular routine after four to five weeks.

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Refusing to continue with life

After the loss of a parent, children will most definitely take a leave from school and adults will do the same with their work. This is perfectly normal because people will need time to deal with their feelings and time apart from any responsibilities is essential. Still, if after a month, the person still refuses to get back to work or school and is still unable to face the daily obligations and activities, this could be the first sign of depression.

Shutting oneself away

Another really sad, but again normal behavior after the loss of a parent is the need to be alone and far away from friends and family. Different people will react differently; so, someone might be able to communicate with others briefly while others won’t be able to speak a word to anyone. This is all part of a grieving process. But, if the person continues to avoid any kind of contact, doesn’t answer the phone and show any sign of willingness to talk and be with other people, depression is probably one of the reasons for such a behavior.

Extreme mood swings

Really high levels of sensitivity and various emotions such as sudden anger, irritation, sadness and even bursts of cries and laughter are normal for someone who is dealing with a loss of a parent. Still, if these mood swings turn into significant extremes with absolutely no recognizable pattern and reason even after a few weeks, this could be a sign of a depression. Therapy in this case is the best options because depressed people without any boundary on their emotion range can unwillingly hurt other people and make it impossible for them to stay close and offer their full support, which will consequently only cause more severe depression signs.

Sleeping and eating disorder

People who grieve for their parent will most probably experience some change in their sleeping and eating schedule. Some people won’t be able to fall asleep while some won’t be able to get out of bed. Some will under eat while others will overeat. Again, if these disorders fail to return to normal schedules after a month, depression is the probable answer. Since this kind of behavior can pose a danger to person’s health, it is recommended to seek the help of a certified counselor.

Suicidal thoughts

Most people who experience the loss of a close family member such as a parent will spend more time thinking about life and death. Once more, this is part of normal grieving process and it can even cause more rational and responsible behavior in the future, such as using Familywills for an immediate will making, leading a healthy lifestyle and promoting health awareness in others. On the other hand, if this grieving process turns to depression, suicidal thoughts can pose a serious danger and any mention of these shouldn’t be taken lightly. Seeking professional help is a must.

Those who want to comfort and support people who are going through a grieving period have to realize that they should wait for the person to ask for help and simply be there. If that doesn’t happen after a good while and you start noticing some of the above-mentioned signs, then it’s time to act, even if it’s on your own.

 

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