Depression affects people in different ways and some people may adopt coping mechanisms without realising it or being aware that they are depressed. Now, everyone wants to pull themselves out of a really difficult moment in their lives — to cope with life and day-to-day activities. Here are some things people may do in trying to cope.
Five subtle coping mechanisms in people suffering from depression
1. Overworking
When people are able to carry on with their day-to-day activities and even do more than what is expected of them they are often suffering from what’s known as high-functioning depression. They will spend hours on end in their offices, doing work that’s not due until a couple of months later.
Although being productive is good, it might actually do more harm to you than good when you overwork yourself. Everyone needs a break and if you don’t give yourself enough time to rest, there will come a time when your body, as well as your mind, tell you to stop, in a very violent and forceful way. You will experience burnout and fatigue. So, next time you see someone close to you working more than they usually do, they might be avoiding feelings or emotions they are not ready to deal with. However, that’s not always the case, just a possibility.
2. Ignoring texts and phone calls
People who are depressed often try to run away from what they are feeling and sometimes spending time with their friends or family will force them to open up. There is absolutely nothing wrong with opening up. In fact, it’s something that people should do when they are going through stuff. However, at times people who are dealing with depression don’t know that they are. They might complain about being tired, not feeling well, and so on. They might feel guilty for feeling the way that they are and spend time indoors instead and ignore phone calls and text messages from friends.
3. Over-exercising
Being physically active is a very good to get rid of feelings of sadness and overthinking. Some people hit the gym when they are feeling stressed. However, it becomes a problem when it is all that a person does and not deal with their depression using other methods too, like opening up to someone and working towards eliminating the things that drive them to a depressive episode.
4. Over-eating is a coping mechanism
Some people suffering from depression might resort to eating ‘comfort’ foods, which are totally unhealthy and might affect their overall mental health. This is called emotional eating. This can also go on for a very long time if these people don’t deal with their emotions head-on. Emotional eating also leads to having an eating disorder. According to the South African Anxiety and Depression Group (Sadag) people describe feeling out of control when they overeat. Sadag says many people with binge eating disorders say that stress, anxiety, depression, or boredom can trigger a binge.
5. Impulsive sexual behaviour
Being sex-positive is a very good thing that people need to embrace. However, when a person starts making sexual decisions without thinking them through, that might be a signal that they are going through something in their life. They might have more ‘hookups’ and ‘one-night-stands’ than normal. This is also referred to as hypersexuality. According to Mayo Clinic, one continues to engage in sexual behaviors that have serious consequences, such as the potential for getting or giving someone else a sexually transmitted infection, the loss of important relationships, trouble at work, financial strain, or legal problems.