What Are The Symptoms?

There is no x-ray or blood test for depression. Instead, you, your family and your friends will notice that your mood, behaviour, functioning, attitudes and thoughts have changed. Many of the symptoms of depression are a case of too much – or too little. For example, you may…

• Be sleeping little or sleeping too much.
• Have gained or lost a significant amount of weight.
• Be highly anxious and agitated or sluggish and inert.
• Have unexplained aches and pains.
• Be extremely sad or very bad-tempered – or both.

You may also feel….

• A loss of interest in the pleasures of life, as well as work, family and friends.
• Unable to concentrate and make decisions.
• Negative, anxious, trapped, unable to act.
• Despairing, guilty and unworthy.
• Fatigue and an overall loss of energy.
• Suicidal – expressing thoughts and sometimes, making plans.
• Numb – an awful feeling of emptiness.
• Unexplained and ongoing aches and pains.

Formally, a diagnosis of depression is warranted when you have been experiencing at least five of these symptoms for a period of two weeks or more. Practically speaking, however, people can resist going for help, feeling they can ride it out. This may be true for the mildest forms of depression but major depression requires medical help in the form of diagnosis and treatment.