People with depression need the same thing as anyone else.
We’re all looking for love and this is true no matter what we’re dealing with on the inside.
Sometimes it’s very hard to tell if someone has a crush on you.
Whether they’re happy and extroverted or quiet and introverted. But there are a few simple ways you might be able to tell even with people who have depression.
1: They seem afraid of getting rejected.
Rejection is never fun, but in many ways, it’s just another part of love.
Most of us have felt the sting of rejection in our lives before, and we’ve come to accept it.
But this is still true whether you have depression or not.
You might find yourself in a situation where you’re pretty certain someone likes you but they seem too scared to take that leap of faith, they just don’t want to get hurt again.
Studies have shown that a person with depression deals with rejection in slightly different ways, so that might be something to look out for.
2: They always feel like you’re out of their league.
Have you ever been attracted to someone but it seems like you have zero chance with them?
We’ve all been there.
But depressed people might be feeling this a lot more than the rest of us.
Studies have shown that depressed individuals tend to feel a sense of worthlessness. Like they’re just not good enough.
In a romantic setting, this might cause them to feel like you’re totally out of their league even when it’s not even true.
A person with depression might want to be with you more than anything, but sometimes, they need a little bit of encouragement and support to make them feel more at ease.
3: If they’re not interested in sex, that doesn’t mean they’re not into you.
Just because someone isn’t interested in you sexually, that doesn’t mean they’re not attracted to you.
Studies have linked depression with sexual dysfunction, perhaps a lowered sex drive for example.
Sure, they might not be drooling over you, but they could still be attracted to you.
Look for other signs of romantic attraction and you might find that a person with depression is totally into you.
4: They might seem desperate.
Desperation definitely doesn’t show up in all people with depression, but it is relatively common.
Studies have even shown that depression is linked with out-of-control sexual behavior.
They might have allowed their depression to get the better of them and it could be impacting their relationships in a negative way.
Of all the signs, this might be the easiest to spot.
Some studies have even shown a link between hyper sexuality and depressive symptoms.
5: They might seem awkward when they flirt.
Most people remember a time when flirting got a little awkward, but with people with depression, this might be a little more common.
A few studies have explored the link between depression and lowered interpersonal communication.
Examples of this might be slowed or slurred speech and awkward silences.
So look out for these signs.
If you don’t look hard enough, you might not even realize that they’re trying to flirt with you.
6: They might seem uncertain about the new romance.
It’s always exciting when there’s the spark of a new romance.
Most of us feel a mixture of hope, excitement and a little anxiety.
But a person with depression might feel a lot more uncertain about a new romance than others.
This is due to something called “Relational Uncertainty”, which is explored in a number of studies.
Relational uncertainty is exactly what it sounds like, people feeling uncertain about their relationships.
The thing is, depressed individuals tend to feel things a lot more than others.
So, if a person with depression is crushing on you, they might also be feeling a lot of anxiety at the same time.
7: They might have trouble looking into your eyes.
Studies have shown that people with depression have trouble maintaining eye contact and in a romantic setting, this can be quite a challenge for them.
We all know that the eyes are the window to the soul, but how can depressed people hope to connect with their crushes if they can’t even look them in the eye?
If you think a person with depression might like you, watch them closely.
