Symptoms of Depression
Not everyone suffering from depression has the same set of symptoms, but if you or a loved one experiences any combination of the following for more than several weeks, see a doctor or other mental health professional.
- Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" feelings
- Sudden fits of anger or crying
- Feelings of hopelessness or ongoing pessimism
- Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, and/or helplessness
- Irritability, restlessness
- Loss of interest in formerly pleasurable activities, including sex
- Fatigue, lack of energy
- Difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions
- Sleeping too much or being unable to sleep soundly
- Eating too much or too little
- Persistent aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that do not ease even with medical treatment
- Thoughts of suicide, attempted suicide
Although depression a very common mental illness, it is often confused with or misdiagnosed as other disorders with similar symptoms like chronic fatigue syndrome, vitamin deficiency, yeast infections, food allergies, or fibromyalgia. This is why it’s important to seek the assistance of a mental health professional if symptoms are not alleviated after being treated for one of these other types of diagnoses.
"The bleakness of the landscape is unimaginable. It is as friendless and alien as a Dali painting. Ordinary concerns, such as work or friends, have no place here. Futility muffles thought; time elongates cruelly. Who is to blame for this situation? Those with depression think it must be them. Pointlessness and self-loathing govern them. So the natural final step is suicide. People with depression don’t kill themselves to frighten an errant boyfriend. They kill themselves because it is the obvious and right thing to do at that point. It is the only positive step they can think of."
~ Written by Kay McKall, a doctor and depression sufferer, published in the Winter 2002 issue of the British Medical Journal.
