What are the typical symptoms of depression?
A person with depression has at least a few of the following symptoms:
- Fatigue or loss of energy
- Agitation or restlessness
- Restlessness
- Loss of interest in everything
- Feelings of worthlessness
- Feeling of guilt
- Depressed moodiness
- Difficulty making decisions and concentrating
- Trouble thinking
- Disrupted sleep
- Changes in appetite
- Thoughts of suicide
A depressive disorder is a “whole-body” illness, involving your body, mood, and thoughts. It affects the way you eat and sleep, the way you feel about yourself, and the way you think about things. A depressive disorder is not a passing blue mood. It is not a sign of personal weakness or a condition that can be willed or wished away. People with a depressive illness cannot merely “pull themselves together” and get better. Without treatment, symptoms can last for weeks, months, or years. Appropriate treatment, however, can help over 80% of those who suffer from depression. Bipolar depression includes periods of high or mania. Not everyone who is depressed or manic experiences every symptom. Some people experience a few symptoms, some many. Also, severity of symptoms varies with individuals.
