Symptoms of Depression - Topic Overview
You may be depressed if you have at least five of these symptoms for 2 weeks or longer, and one of the symptoms is either sadness or loss of interest.
- You feel sad or hopeless.
- You lose interest in or stop getting pleasure from most daily activities.
- You lose or gain a lot of weight because of changes in how hungry you feel.
- You sleep too much or too little.
- You feel restless and unable to sit still, or you sit quietly and feel that moving takes great effort.
- You feel tired all the time.
- You feel unworthy or guilty for no reason. You may worry that people don't like you.
- You find it hard to focus, remember things, or make decisions.
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.
Postpartum Depression: More Common Than You Know
Tina Merritt, now 39, of Virginia Beach, Va., had heard of postpartum depression when she was pregnant seven years ago. But when she gave birth to her son, Graham, she expected nothing but joy as she and her husband welcomed the baby boy who would be the first grandchild on both sides of their families."It took me a while to get pregnant, and it was a huge deal for everyone," Merritt says."I worked right up to the end of my pregnancy and felt great. I'd planned so long for this baby, I really...
Read the Postpartum Depression: More Common Than You Know article > >
Learn the warning signs of suicide, which include talking a lot about death, giving things away, or using a lot of alcohol or drugs or both. If you see these signs in yourself or a loved one, get help.
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