Everyone feels sad or drained sometimes. But when the feeling does not lift, these may be depression ki alamat (depression symptoms), not just a difficult phase.
Depression does not always look like crying. Someone may keep working and meeting friends while struggling internally; others turn angry, distant, or physically exhausted instead. This guide covers seven depression ki alamat people commonly dismiss, how to tell udaasi (sadness) apart from depression, and when to get help.
Depression symptoms go beyond low mood. According to the World Health Organization, a depressive episode involves low mood or loss of interest for most of the day. This must occur nearly every day, for at least two weeks.
There is no single experience of it. Some feel deeply sad, others feel empty, irritated, or unable to care about anything. Patterns matter more than any one symptom alone.
Sadness usually has a clear trigger, such as an argument, a loss, or a stressful week, and it eases with time.
Depression behaves differently. It affects how someone thinks, sleeps, eats, and functions, often without an obvious cause, and it tends to persist rather than pass. If you’re unsure whether what you’re feeling is sadness, depression, or something closer to anxiety, the pattern over two weeks is the clearest signal.
These seven patterns are the ones people most often explain away as tiredness, moodiness, or a busy season of life. Reading through them side by side can make the difference between one symptom and a pattern clearer.
Feeling low after a bad day is normal. Signs of depression start when that heaviness or emptiness stays for weeks rather than days.
Irritability counts too. A short temper or constant overwhelm is sometimes mistaken for rudeness, when it may actually be one of the less recognised udaasi aur mayoosi ki alamat (sadness and hopelessness symptoms).
Ask: has this lasted two weeks or more, and is it affecting your work, studies, or relationships? Duration and impact matter more than the cause.
Cricket, food, friends, hobbies: nothing feels the same. Even good news barely registers.
This gets mistaken for laziness, but hopelessness or loss of interest can point to something deeper. The real question is not “am I still doing this?” but “does it still make me feel anything?”
Depression is physical too. Showering or replying to a message can take real effort, even after a full night’s sleep.
Fatigue alone has many causes, including anaemia, thyroid problems and poor sleep, so a medical checkup matters. It becomes a mental health warning sign when it appears alongside low mood, hopelessness or loss of interest.
Some people cannot fall asleep, or wake far too early. Others sleep for hours and still cannot leave bed. Appetite can swing either way too: eating far less because food feels pointless, or eating more to cope with distress.
Weight change is not required for this to matter. Disrupted sleep or eating alongside other depression symptoms should not be written off as poor discipline.
Reading the same paragraph twice. Forgetting instructions. Even small choices, such as what to eat or wear, start to feel exhausting.
This alone does not confirm depression. Paired with udaasi aur mayoosi ki alamat, though, it should not be ignored, particularly if it is new and affecting more than one area of life.
“Nothing will improve.” “Everyone would be better off without me.” Statements like these need direct attention, not “think positively,” but calm listening and encouragement to seek professional support.
Worthlessness does not reflect a person’s true value. It can be a symptom of an illness that responds to treatment.
Unanswered calls, missed work, long stretches alone. In Pakistan, this is often hidden, as many people mask distress out of fear of stigma or being seen as ungrateful, so the struggle goes unnoticed.
A quiet person does not automatically have depression. A clear change from someone’s usual behaviour, especially alongside the signs above, is worth checking on.
Sign 3 — constant tiredness — is one of the easiest to miss, because it looks like an ordinary bad week. The difference is how long it lasts and whether low mood or loss of interest sit alongside it.
There is rarely one cause. Genetics, brain chemistry, chronic stress, major life changes, physical illness and social isolation can all contribute, often together. This is why depression is not a matter of willpower, and why “stay positive” is not treatment. For a fuller breakdown of symptoms, NHS guidance on depression in adults is a useful reference alongside this guide.
Treat it as serious once symptoms continue for two weeks or longer, occur most days, and start affecting work, relationships, sleep, or self-care, or when they keep returning or worsening.
At that point, speak to a qualified mental health professional. Depression is treatable through counselling, therapy, lifestyle support, medication, or a combination, and mental health support through Tele-Tabeeb 1123, Pakistan’s free online doctor and mental health consultation line, is one accessible starting point.
Depression in Pakistan is widely under-reported because deep social stigma discourages disclosure and help-seeking. At the same time, specialist mental-health services remain heavily concentrated in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, leaving most rural populations with little or no access to care.
SIEHS has launched the Anchors of Hope program in Tharparkar to focus on people’s mental well-being in remote areas, and Tele-Tabeeb 1123 is available 24/7 for mental health counselling.
Not a diagnosis, but a prompt to check in. Over the past two weeks, have you:
Several “yes” answers are worth discussing with a professional. Avoid diagnosing yourself from social media alone.
Start privately and calmly: “You haven’t seemed like yourself lately. I’m here if you want to talk.” Listen without interrupting, and skip comparisons or “be grateful” advice.
Practical support helps more than words. Offer to book an appointment or go with them to a healthcare facility, and keep checking in even without an immediate response. Take any mention of self-harm or suicide seriously.
If someone mentions suicide or self-harm, ask directly whether they are in immediate danger. Asking clearly does not plant the idea. Stay with them, remove access to anything harmful if it is safe to do so, and contact a trusted family member alongside urgent professional help.
For immediate help anywhere in Sindh, including Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana, Mirpurkhas, Tharparkar, Nawabshah and Dadu, call SIEHS 1122 for 24/7 emergency ambulance response, or go to the nearest hospital emergency department. For Tele-Tabeeb 1123 telemedicine service and medical or mental health guidance, dial 1123.
Persistent sadness, irritability, loss of interest, fatigue, sleep or appetite changes, hopelessness and withdrawal all deserve attention, especially together, and especially over the past two weeks. One symptom alone does not confirm depression, but several sustained symptoms should not be ignored.
Depression is not weakness or ingratitude. It is a treatable health condition. If you recognise these depression ki alamat in yourself or someone close to you, call Tele-Tabeeb 1123 to speak with a professional, or visit www.siehs.org to find SIEHS’s community healthcare programs across Sindh.
A free online doctor and free emergency ambulance are both one call away, anywhere in Sindh, any time of day.
Common signs include persistent sadness, loss of interest, low energy, disturbed sleep or appetite, poor concentration, hopelessness, guilt and withdrawal, usually lasting two weeks or more and affecting daily life.
Sadness has a clear cause and eases with time. Depression often lacks an obvious trigger, affects multiple areas of life (sleep, appetite, concentration, motivation) and persists for two weeks or longer.
When symptoms last two weeks or more, occur most days, and interfere with work, relationships, sleep or self care, or if they involve thoughts of self harm, treat it as urgent and seek professional help immediately.
Yes. Many people continue working, studying and socialising while struggling internally; symptoms can show up as irritability, exhaustion, poor concentration or physical complaints instead of visible sadness.
No. Sadness is a normal emotion that usually improves with time. Depression lasts longer and affects mood, energy, sleep, concentration, appetite and daily responsibilities together.
Take it seriously. Stay with them, ask directly if they are in immediate danger, and seek urgent help. In Sindh, call SIEHS 1122 for emergency response, or dial Tele-Tabeeb 1123, where trained mental health counsellors are available 24/7 for suicide and crisis support, or go to the nearest emergency department.
WhatsApp us
