If you have a family member that seems to be acting differently than they normally do, it's a heart wrenching experience. You want to help them in any way that you can, but when you're not quite sure what is wrong, it's difficult to know how to approach them. More often than not, the family member also doesn't seem to want your help - and this only complicates things. Depression is a sneaky cause to many problems in families, but when you don't know how to look for it, you can cause more pain for yourself in the process.



Here are some of the most common signs of depression that you should be on the lookout for:

• The individual is not interested in things they used to enjoy - When your brother isn't picking up his guitar anymore though he used to play every day, it might be a sign that he is depressed. Losing interest in things that you normally enjoy is a major sign of depression and can be alerting you to a dark despair in the person.



• The person is sleeping more - To escape the world around them, your family member might begin to sleep much longer than they normally do. This sleeping might interfere with their regular life or it may simply just be something they do whenever they can. If you notice longer sleeping hours, you might want to become concerned.



• The person sleeps less - Conversely, some people will also show depression by not sleeping much, if at all. Insomnia is a common sign of depression when the mind is filled with a number of things that can not be processed healthily.



• The person changes their eating habits - They might begin to eat a lot more or stop eating entirely when they are depressed. This is often noticed when the person begins to gain a lot of weight rapidly or begins to lose a dramatic amount of weight.



• Crying spells or down moods - When the person seems genuinely sad and hopeless, this can be a sign of depression. They might not be able to control these moods and often isolate themselves when they are feeling so badly.



• Pessimism - An inability to see things in a hopeful or positive light is another red flag for the possibility of depression. When the person just simply can not see anything good in their life, you might be dealing with major depression in the person.



• A slower gait or movement - The depressed person might also simply just slow down their whole body because their inner thoughts are also slowing down in order to deal with their emotions. You might notice that the person walks more slowly or starts to move more slowly.



• Becomes angry easily - While most people think of sadness when they think of depression, often anger is another common emotion. If the person seems to be getting angry or agitated more often, it may be a sign they are depressed.



• No interest in sex - When the person isn't interested in sex with their partner, this can be another sign of depression. This inability to connect with their partner on that intimate level is sign that something bigger is going on.



• Thoughts of death - While this sounds clich'd, people that are depressed will often begin to think about death more often, talking about it as the better alternative to their current life. Sometimes, this is a hint that they are thinking about suicide or that they are simply overwhelmed by things they are feeling.

If you notice one or more of these signs of depression in your family member and they last for at least two consecutive weeks, they may need more help than you can provide.