Depression

The symptoms of depression

Symptoms of depression, manifest themselves in many ways, and individual sufferers may, in time, display all of them. However, it is possible to not recognise these symptoms for what they are, whether in yourself or someone else, but the sooner that signs of depression are recognised, the sooner a doctor can be consulted to arrange diagnosis and treatment for this illness.

The more common symptoms of depression are as follows:

• Long periods of sadness, accompanied by a lack of interest in participating in activities, and a tendency to mope are good examples of the symptoms of depression.
  
  
• A loss of self-worth and self respect, sometimes driven by a sense of guilt over something that generates great unhappiness.
  
  
• General feelings of hopelessness, which invoke an inability to muster enthusiasm for anything. The depressed person senses they have nothing to look forward to in life and that nothing will go their way.
  
  
• Pessimism and feeling sorry for oneself.. Always seeing the negative side of things; the sense of hopelessness again.
  
  
• A loss of interest in the normal pleasures of life that had hitherto been enjoyed and looked forward to.
  
  
• Lack of concentration and indecisiveness is another tell-tale sign of depression. Withdrawing from interest in normal everyday life makes the depression sufferer lose touch with the outside world, become inattentive and experience memory lapses.
  
  
• Talk of death or of wanting to die, and quite specifically discussing suicide are very obvious symptoms of depression.
  

Depression can also affect one's physical health if allowed to go untreated over time. When a depressive withdraws from life and fails to participate in normal everyday things, when they just stay around the house and remain inactive, the body fails to get the minimum amount of exercise and side effects evolve.

Constant tiredness is common in people suffering with depression. They lose their interests in life, their energy levels fall and they become fatigued.

Deviations in sleep patterns are another physical indication of the symptoms of depression. Too much or too little sleep, and waking in the night and of not being able to get back to sleep.

Eating habits as well. Either a loss of appetite or eating far too much are sure signs that depression is present and that there is a disregard for one's own health. Tension eating and heavy drinking are common, and sudden weight loss or gain can happen. There can also be digestive disorders and headaches.