Diagnosing Depression – Depression Symptoms

Part of the challenge surrounding the process of diagnosing depression is because depression doesn’t always look the same in every person that it effects. There are many different symptoms, but not everyone has each of the possible symptoms and there are no biological tests that can be administered at present that can provide a diagnosis for depression.

There are many different symptoms of depression that you can watch out for. These are the formal signs to look out for that indicate if you or someone you know may need help with depression:

• A sudden change of weight – this can be either gaining or loosing weight without intending to, often it will seem unexplainable
• Feeling an overwhelming sadness most or all of the time
• Having difficulty or being unable to concentrate, focus, or remember things
• Having a hard time making decisions
• Loss of appetite
• Loss of normal sex drive – lose of interest in sex
• Thoughts of suicide, talking about suicide or wanting to die
• Feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, and/or worthlessness
• Lack of energy or motivation, feeling drained all or most of the time, fatigue
• Wanting to sleep all the time, sleeping too much – or not being able to sleep
• restlessness or irritability
• crying for no apparent reason or frequently crying and things the person normally wouldn’t react as strongly to
• loss of interest in activities or hobbies that were once pleasurable – taking no pleasure in what was once considered fun
• Unexplained physical symptoms that do not improve despite treatment: for example aches, pains, and/or digestive problems.

If you or someone you know is feeling suicidal, you need to get help right away. The best ways to get immediate assistance are to go to the nearest emergency room, contact your mental health professional or doctor, or call one of the suicide hotlines.

Call 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) or 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255).   There is also a deaf hotline available at 1-800-4889.

Feeling loneliness, sadness, or depression is a normal part of being human. Major Depression, on the other hand, isn’t the same as these normal feelings that come and go. Clinical depression that continues without being treated will create serious disruptions in life and can continue to worsen for years. Depression is a serious illness that can lead to death through suicide: it’s been estimated that over 10% or cases of Major Depression lead to suicide. Unfortunately more than half the people suffering from depression every year never seek treatment. Recognizing and diagnosing depression is the first step towards getting help.

Clinical depression doesn’t stop with emotional feelings, though. It affects the body in a number of different ways. Depression can weaken the immune system through the constant stress that the body is under. Physical pain that was present before can become worse, and it is known that depression also can cause chronic physical pain. Its only been in the last decade that we’ve really begun to understand just how major an impact depression can have on the body outside of the horrible toll it takes on the emotions and feelings of a person.

If you think you may be suffering from depression, I encourage you to reach out and get some help. I’ve written more about the process of diagnosing depression. Understanding what that process is like will hopefully demystify it and make it seem less overwhelming. Once you start to get some help you can begin overcoming depression and getting back the person who you truly are. Likewise, if you know someone you think may be suffering from depression, provide encouragement. Help your loved one get help if they don’t know how to – let them know you think its a good idea.

Related Posts:

• Diagnosing Depression