Depression is a serious condition that can range in severity from a general down and sad feeling to thoughts of suicide. While the twists and turns of life can get anyone down, depression is when those times don’t seem to go away. You may feel down all the time. Or, you may feel like your down mood came out of nowhere.
According to the DSM IV, the official manual of psychiatry, depression has the following general symptoms:
- A depressed mood most of the time. This means almost the whole day and for days at a time.
- Lack of interest in daily activities. This is a general lack of interest and loss of pleasure in things you generally like to do. This may be recognized by the person with depression or by others around them.
- A great loss of weight that isn’t accounted for by any weight loss efforts.
- On the flip side, there could be an increase in weight.
- Significant change in appetite – either loss of appetite or an increase, which can lead to the weight gain mentioned above.
- Problems sleeping – sleeping too much, not sleeping enough, insomnia, troubles getting to sleep, etc.
- Feeling agitated and restless, and/or feeling slowed down that can be sensed by others.
- Consistently being tired, or having a loss of energy.
- Feelings of worthlessness, or increased guilt, hopelessness.
- Loss of ability to concentrate or make decisions.
- Thinking about death or suicide, perhaps even making plans for suicide.
- These symptoms are enough to disrupt your normal life and interfere with normal activities. They may be so bad you can’t do normal activities at all, or barely at all. Or, they may be less severe, but require significantly more effort.
These symptoms can be caused by other things than depression, including some medications or medical problems such as hypothyroidism. They can also be caused by grief, although if they go on longer than two months after someone has died, they can warrant a diagnosis of depression.
Depending on the degree of the depression symptom, its duration, and how many of them you have, there are various types of depression that may be applicable. A doctor will ask you about these symptoms, as well as some other mood symptoms, to make sure that there isn’t another cause for your down feelings, including a form of anxiety or Bipolar Disorder.
For information on specifics relating to the symptoms of depression, please see:
- What Is Clinical Depression? The How Of A Doctor’s Diagnosis
- Depression In Men: It’s Not Just Stress, It’s Serious
- Signs Of Depression In Women: Pay Attention To That Feeling That Things Just Aren’t Right
- Teen Depression: Negative Behavior May Not Just Be “Typical Teen”
