Depression is real, and is becoming more and more common amongst the population. It is often a misunderstood, mental disorder that can certainly be treated with medications and psychotherapy. There are tell-tale signs that you or someone you know may be depressed. The depressed person may not experience all the symptom and the intensity of the symptoms tend to fluctuate with some people, and can fluctuate over time.
Here are some key signs of depression:
1) Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” mood
A person may report feeling sad or empty, or may cry frequently. Children and adolescents may exhibit irritability. There are prolonged period of sadness or they may say they are not feeling "up to it," the feeling of "not being in the mood." They would rather sulk around the house feeling sorry for themselves.
2) Feelings of hopelessness or pessimism
This is tied with the person feeling like they have nothing to look forward to in their lives. Those that exhibit perpetual pessimism are typically always negative about things, and the feeling of hopelessness comes in to their minds again.
3) Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness
The depressed person may feel that they lack value. They may also feel incorrectly guilty about things they do not have control over. They are guilt-driven and have a loss of self-worth. By feeling overwhelming guilt, they can actually make themselves feel very sad, and they feel they do not deserve to be happy. The feeling that things will never go their way reinforces a feeling of being a victim of circumstances.
4) Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities that were once enjoyed
The person may illustrate reduce interest or enjoyment in all or most daily activities. They have lost the feeling of taking pleasure in the simple things in life. They have lost a spirit of adventure, or hobbies, that they once enjoyed. They can become a recluse, avoiding activities that involving family and friends.
5) Decreased energy, fatigue, or feeling “slowed down”
They display being deeply fatigued and have a marked loss of energy. They always feel fatigued, feeling tired or run down, whether it is physically or mentally. People who suffer from depression, having lost interest in life are actually depleted of physical energy. By brooding around, not eating properly, and not getting enough sleep, the depressed person is on a path to not just a mental illness but to physical illness as well.
6) Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions
The depressed person feels they have "brain fog." They experience a weakened ability to think, concentrate or make decisions. They have trouble concentrating, have bad memories and are indecisive. A person’s lack of interest in things can lead to an inability to keep track of things, inability to remember things that happened and recent conversations. The lack of interest that depressed people experience makes them inattentive, with their living environments being quite disorganized and untidy.
7) Insomnia, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping
Depressed people experience sleep disturbances. Insomnia or sleeping too much may be a symptom of depression. They don’t sleep enough, sleeping too much, and/or waking up at wee hours of the morning,
8) Appetite and/or weight loss or overeating and weight gain
Considerable changes in weight when not attempting to gain or lose may be suggestive of depression. In children, this may also present as a failure to make expected weight gains. There can be a loss of appetite or the person may exhibit an abnormally large appetite, leading to weight loss or gain.
9) Thoughts of death or suicide or actual suicide attempts
A depressed person may have chronic thoughts of death, especially thoughts of suicide, with or without a specific plan. Being suicidal, talking about death, about wanting to die, are obvious signals of depression.
10) Restlessness or irritability
The person exhibits psychomotor agitation or retardation. The person may be surveyed as being nervous, fidgety and impatient or physically stalled in their movements. They may also experience physical symptoms such as headaches, digestive disorders, and various body pains.
11) Can’t see the forest for the trees
One of the most common tell-tale signs that someone is depressed is that those closest to the person ask, "Are you O.K.?" By asking this, it means that those people can see that the behaviour of the person is abnormal. The person themselves have a hard time seeing the signs as they are too within the situation – they can’t see the forest for the trees.
12) Difficulty in maintaining close or romantic relationships
The depressed person cannot hold a romantic relationship for long because all the symptoms they exhibit and experience and toxic to an intimate relationship and the relationship is not likely to withstand the symptoms as the symptoms have too much control over the depressed person.
Resources:
http://psychcentral.com/lib/2007/top-10-signs-of-depression/
http://10signsofdepression.com/
http://depression.about.com/od/diagnosis/tp/depsymptoms.htm
http://ezinearticles.com/?10-Key-Signs-of-Depression&id=435284
http://stason.org/TULARC/health/mind/depression-faq/10-What-are-the-typical-symptoms-of-depression.html
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/10-signs-of-depression-understanding-warning-depression-symptoms-433822.html
http://www.squidoo.com/depressionistreatable
http://psychcentral.com/lib/2007/top-10-signs-of-bipolar-disorder-manic-depression/
http://www.articleclick.com/Article/10-Key-Signs-of-Depression-/917886
