The Body Language of Depression and Suicide

There are many sites listing the behavioral clues to depression, and if you are concerned about someone you know please search out this information.

My goal here are to list several common body language signs so that they can be tracked over time to help you determine if things are worsening.

FACE
In the face, in full blown sadness ,you will see lowered inner eyebrows, droopy eye lids, lowered outer lips.

In subtle sadness you could see raised inner eyebrows, protruding lower lip, eye blocking.

Research has shown that facial sadness is one of the easier emotions to determine.

BODY
In body language you could see lower shoulders, arms hanging down, head tilted to the side, lazy posture, and lack of gestures- it as if they are saying and/or conveying 'why bother' non verbally.

The gestures you will see will be pacifying in nature. Rubbing of hands, neck, face... You can judge the extent they are willing to share their pain by how open their gestures are- for instance if they are rubbing their face or over their heart. It doesn't necessarily mean they will share - as the mind and body do not always agree with each other.

Emotions that are related to depression could be shame, defeat, contempt, pain, guilt are among a few.

You must evaluate the nonverbal signals in the context of the root cause. For example, while it is normal to suffer a certain about of depression after the death of a loved one, we must evaluate the enormity of it over time and to what degree it appears different from the norm.

If you see depression in those around you, seek guidance from trained professionals.◦

The Body Language of Depression and Suicide