Do You Lose Track of Time When Depressed? (+9 More Symptoms)

This article will show when people that are depressed lose track of time. For that, the article will discuss the types of depression, and what are the ones that can impact the person in such ways.

Aside from that, the article will be ways a person with depression can cope and look for treatment to not feel so bad.

Is it normal to lose track of time when depressed? 

Yes, it is normal for depression to make you lose track of time. Not only that, it can alter how you are in the world and how you feel it. It makes you feel foggy, it can change your perspective, it can make you unrecognizable to yourself and others. Some people even say it feels like you are a ghost, just passing through things, and through life without even noticing.

It takes away your ability to think, to plan your days, what you need to do, and you completely lose track of what you want to do. It also makes you feel like you have no energy. You lose track of how many days it has been since your last shower, or the last time you went grocery shopping. 

Depression affects how much you eat and how much you sleep. People can sleep for so long that they lose track of time, and can go for days without eating. And it also affects your ability to focus and memorize things, which can also make it hard for you to keep track of what you’ve been doing.

People might start to feel this even before they are diagnosed with depression, they actually might start to think they are not okay because their perception changes, and so does their mood. To help someone that is not sure what is going on with them, let’s discuss what depression is.

What is depression?  

Depression is a mental illness that can happen to anyone, and it affects, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) 5% of the world’s population. There are many factors that can cause a person to get depressed. According to studies, women have a higher chance of becoming depressed than men.

Along with that, having a family member with depression or having gone through a previous depressive episode can make a person’s chance of developing depression a lot higher. The same happens if a person is experiencing trauma, that can be the loss of a loved one, a divorce, or a move to a new city.

A person is diagnosed with depression if, for a period longer than two weeks, they experience its symptoms frequently and intensely. The symptoms of depression can change from one person to the next, but it usually makes a person feel sad, lose hope about their lives and the future, as well as low self-esteem, and feel like they are not worth it.

Not only that, depression can make a person experience other symptoms. Let’s take a look at them.

• Change in eating and sleeping patterns
• Loss of ability to focus
• Loss of energy
• Loss of interest in things you used to love
• Isolation
• Irritability
• Guilt
• Excessive crying of difficulty crying even if they want to
• Self-harm
• Thoughts of death and suicidal thoughts

Although people with depression can present those symptoms, the intensity of it can change according to what type of depression they have. Let’s learn about the types of depression and how each of them can feel the loss of track of time.

What are the types of depression? 

Mild depression 

It is more than a temporary sadness, it can go on for quite some time, and although the symptoms are not so intense, making it hard for a person to realize they are depressed, it can still cause some impact in a person’s life.

The symptoms are present during most of the day and are present for more than 4 days a week. As for treatment, this is one of the easiest types of depression to treat, sometimes just making a few adjustments in the person’s life, like improving their sleep schedule, or exercising, can make them feel better.

Moderate depression 

Moderate depression is one level above mild depression if we consider the intensity of the symptoms. But in moderate depression, the matters of self-esteem and productivity are more affected, and people might start to worry more about things.

Moderate depression can cause some impact on the person’s life, making it a little harder for them to maintain the same social and work life. Because of that, its diagnosis is easier, but the treatment can be harder, and medication can be needed. In moderate depression, since the symptoms are more intense, the person’s sense of losing track of time can be frequent.

Major depression 

Major depression is when a person has the symptoms of depression in the most intense way, and the person and people around them notice that they are not okay. 

An episode of major depression can last around six months, but it can also go for longer, or people can have more episodes of it during their lifetime. Major depression can have a strong impact on a person’s life, being that sometimes it can even impair a person to continue her work.

People with major depression need to look for treatment since along with the other symptoms, that happen intensely, they can also experiment delusional episodes, hallucinations and might even experiment with suicidal thoughts.

In major depression, the feeling of losing track of time can be present frequently. Since people with major depression usually find it hard to maintain some quite simple activities such as getting out of bed and going to work.

Major depression demands intense and serious care. A person can benefit from therapy and medication to relieve the symptoms and increase their sense of well-being.

Persistent depression

It is a chronic form of depression, in which the person has, during years, periods of major depression, and others that are not so intense. At that moment, it can give the person they are all better until they realize that it’s not the case. 

Because of these mood swings, it may be hard for them to keep a functioning social and work life. This type of depression can cause a person to lose the sense of time in a manner that they can lose track of how long they have been feeling bad.

In this type of depression, people should be in therapy, as a way to deal with and create strategies to deal with the mood swing. And medication can be needed to stabilize their mood and the symptoms.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): Is it normal to lose track of time when depressed? 

What are ways to cope with depression?

Depression may need professional help, sometimes even medication. But there are ways people can try to adjust in their day-to-day life to get a better sense of well-being.

Having a good support network is very important for people with depression. It can help you feel more connected, and it might be great to have people around that you can talk to when times are hard. 

Aside from that, try to put exercise in your routine. It will help you to get out of your house, and after, even a small walk, it will give you a better sense of well-being.

Having meditation as part of your life is something that might also make you feel better. It is a way you can practice mindfulness, it will make you more aware of your feelings, giving you the power to deal with them in a better form.

What is psychotic depression? 

Psychotic depression is what happens when a person has major depression and because of that, they lose touch with reality. It can cause a person to be delusional, and have hallucinations.

People that develop psychotic depression can start to show that they are constantly worried about things, even being on the edge. They might start to have difficulty sleeping or lose their ability to concentrate. 

People that are diagnosed with psychotic depression need treatment and medication as a way to stabilize their mood and put them back in touch with reality.

How can I help my friend that is thinking of suicide?

The first thing to do when you think your friend is thinking about suicide is ask them about it honestly and clearly. This will help them know that you are willing to talk about this. From the time you have this conversation, try to be present, be it in person or even through text.

Feeling connected to people is something that will avoid a person to suicide. If you notice that they are in a crisis, and planning to act on it, it would be a good idea to look for help and not leave them alone. With time and support, these feelings might get better, and they might get a new perspective on things.

Can depression cause memory loss?

Yes, depression can affect a person’s memory. It usually doesn’t affect long-term memory, but it makes it harder for people to have short-term memories. This happens because when a person is depressed they usually lose a lot of their ability to focus. 

If you are not able to pay attention, it becomes increasingly hard for you to memorize what is going on around you. If you are experiencing memory loss because of depression, know that it won’t last forever. As you start to feel better from the depression, you will start to notice that the memories will get better.

What is the difference between anxiety and depression?

Sometimes it might be hard to differentiate depression from anxiety. They can have similar symptoms, such as the change of sleeping pattern, but it can appear in different ways in a person with depression and one with anxiety.

While a person with depression may lose their energy and most times tends to oversleep, a person with anxiety mostly has trouble getting to sleep because their thoughts won’t let them. They might be thinking constantly about something, and that will keep them up.

The worries, and unwanted thoughts although present in both, can also change, from a person with depression and one with anxiety. When depressed a person is usually worrying about facts that happened in the past. As for people with anxiety, they are constantly worried about the future.

But some symptoms are common to depression and anxiety, such as difficulty focusing. Although for different reasons, they both find it hard to concentrate. For people with anxiety, it can be because they feel too agitated, as for depression, it might be related to the lack of energy.

Conclusion

This article showed how losing track of time can be an indicator of major depression. Because of that, the article explained what depression is, and its types. Not only that, the article discussed ways a person can cope and look for treatment for depression.

If you have any questions or comments about this article, feel free to write it in the section below.

References

https://themighty.com/2016/07/depression-and-losing-time/

https://www.healthcentral.com/amp/article/losing-track-of-time-and-absentmindedness-the-bipolar-disorder-question-of-the-week