Depression - Symptoms
The symptoms of depression may be hard to notice at first. They can be different from person to person, and you may confuse them with just feeling "off" or "down." You also may confuse the symptoms with another health problem.
The two most common symptoms of depression are:
- Feeling sad or hopeless nearly every day.
- Losing interest in or not getting pleasure from most daily activities, and you feel this way nearly every day.
A serious symptom of depression is thinking about death and suicide. If you or someone you care about talks about suicide or feeling hopeless, get help right away.
You also may:
- Lose or gain weight. You may also feel like eating more or less than usual almost every day.
- Sleep too much or not enough almost every day.
- Feel restless and not be able to sit still, or you may sit quietly and feel that moving takes great effort. Others can easily see this behavior.
- Feel tired or as if you have no energy almost every day.
- Feel unworthy or guilty nearly every day. You may have low self-esteem and worry that people don't like you.
- Find it hard to focus, remember things, or make decisions nearly every day. You may feel anxious or worried about things.
Are you depressed?
If you have at least five of the above symptoms for 2 weeks or longer, and one of the symptoms is either sadness or loss of interest, you may have depression and may need treatment. If you have 2 to 4 symptoms for a period of at least 2 years (1 year for a child), you may have a long-term form of depression called dysthymic disorder (dysthymia).
Even if you have fewer symptoms, you may still be depressed and may benefit from treatment. No matter how many symptoms you have, it's important to see your doctor. The sooner you get treatment, the better your chance for a quick and full recovery.
It's possible to have periods of both energy and elation (mania) and depression. This may be bipolar disorder. If this happens to you, tell your doctor. The treatments for depression and bipolar disorder are different. For more information, see the topic Bipolar Disorder.
If you think you may have depression, take a short quiz to check your symptoms:
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One Woman's Story: "I woke up every day with suicide on my mind, and I went to bed with suicide on my mind."-Martha |
Symptoms can vary
Symptoms can be mild, moderate, or severe:
- In mild depression, you have few symptoms. They affect your life, but you can deal with them with treatment.
- In moderate depression, you have more symptoms, and they are beginning to change your life.
- In severe depression, the symptoms change your life and affect your job or career and your relationships.
WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise
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