Depression Symptoms
Your guide to understanding the symptoms of depression.
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You can recognize depression early, and recovery quickly, if you know the signs and symptoms. It is important to remember that sadness and some depressive feelings are part of life's normal lows. But if you feel these symptoms frequently, they are strong, or they tend to last longer than two weeks, you may be dealing with depression. People do not always experience the same symptoms having a different combination of the following:
- Feeling helpless and hopeless, or the feeling that nothing will ever get better and there is nothing you can do you improve your situation.
- Loss of interest in your daily activities. You may have no interest in former hobbies, including sex, or you've lost the ability to feel joy and pleasure.
- Loss of appetite or weight changes. Significant weight loss or gain – a change of more than 5% of your body weight in a month, can be a sign of depression.
- Sleep changes. You may experience insomnia, especially waking early in the morning, or oversleeping.
- Irritability or restlessness. Maybe you're feeling agitated, on edge, or everything gets on your nerves.
- Loss of energy. Feeling fatigued, sluggish, and physically drained is a sign of depression.
- Self loathing. If you have feelings of worthlessness or guilt or are prone to harsh self-criticism, you may be depressed.
- Unexplained aches or pains. An increase in physical complaints like headaches, back, muscle or stomach pain may be a sign of experience depression.
