Breakups from any type of relationship rank as one of the most stressful events in life and can cause a great deal of sadness and grief. Just like recovering from a serious physical injury, healing a broken heart also takes time. But if your grief from a relationship breakup hasn’t eased with time and is interfering with your ability to work or socialize, then you may be suffering from clinical depression. In my role as a relationship counselor, I have observed some common signs in my clients being treated for depression after a breakup. In Part 1 of this series, I’ll be looking at some of the warning signs of clinical depression that you need to watch out for if you are passing through the heartache phases of a breakup. 

Feeling Sad All the Time: You’re naturally bound to spend a good amount of time feeling sad after a breakup. Sadness is a normal part of grief after a breakup, but many of the symptoms of grieving and depression often overlap. Feeling sad all the time, and experiencing pain that is relentless and unbearable is not normal and could be a sign of depression.

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Losing Appetite: Research has shown that the stress from a relationship break up can increase cortisol levels, which affects appetite. A breakup can make you literally stop eating and lose taste for food which may no longer seem enjoyable as it used to be. You could also be overeating to comfort yourself after a breakup. Any significant change in your dietary habits after a breakup could indicate depression.

Falling Sick: Apart from affecting you emotionally, a breakup can actually make you feel physically ill. All the stress that comes from a breakup can throw your immune system completely out of gear and make you prone to sickness. So you need to pay more attention if you keep falling sick while recovering from a breakup because it could be a sign of depression.

Experiencing Withdrawal Symptoms: Being in love fills your brain with a pleasure chemical called dopamine, which can make you feel addicted to your partner and crave its absence after a breakup. Just like an alcoholic or drug addict trying to break the bad habit, you can also go through withdrawal symptoms after a breakup. The inability to overcome this addiction and continuously craving for one’s partner long after the breakup is a sign of depression.

Having Anxiety Attacks: A relationship breakup can often bring on sudden anxiety and panic attacks. Anxiety and depression are often seen as a type of chicken and egg issue, as some people who suffer from depression go on to develop anxiety, while others suffering from anxiety can develop depression. There’s a strong link between anxiety and depression because the same neurotransmitters in the brain play a role in causing both the conditions. So experiencing anxiety and panic attacks after a breakup could lead to depression down the road.

Difficulty in Sleeping: While almost half of all Americans suffer from insomnia at some point in their life, most of them are divorced, widowed or separated. Depression and anxiety after a breakup can bring on insomnia. Moreover, lack of sleep makes these conditions even worse. If you’ve been suffering from insomnia after a breakup and have had to turn to sleeping medication, it could signal depression.

Losing Your Sense of Self: When you’ve always done everything together with your partner, learning to live for just yourself after a breakup can cause an identity crisis. A breakup can change the way you see yourself and cause you to lose your sense of self. Since sense of self is importantly connected with the way you feel about yourself, an altered sense of self can result in significant depression.

In Part 2 of this series, I’ll be sharing some important tips that can help you emotionally get through a breakup and avoid depression.

If you'd like professional help overcoming a relationship breakup or any other issue, contact Orly Gueron a Licensed marriage and family therapist and relationship specialist in Aventura, FL!