Symptoms of depression

What are the signs and symptoms of clinical depression? People suffering from depression report a plethora of symptoms. These include: sleeping difficulties (such as: early morning awakening, insomnia and sleeping all of time), eating difficulties (including, a loss of interest in food, weight loss and/or weight gain), psychomotor retardation (they move VERY slowly) or psychomotor agitation (they move about non-stop), irritability, memory difficulties, trouble concentrating, indecisiveness, sadness, tearfulness, thoughts of suicide and/or death, feelings of hopelessness, feelings of guilt, feelings of helplessness, feelings of worthlessness, apathy, fatigue, a loss of sexual appetite and a loss of interest in life in general.

If a person has a number of these symptoms, persisting over a period of several weeks (in the absence of other medical or psychological difficulties) then, they are likely to have clinical depression.

Readers are sometimes surprised to learn that a person can have clinical depression without having the conscious experience of sadness or tearfulness. For example, in many cultures men are taught to suppress or deny the experience of sadness or the sense of hopelessness. Typically, these sorts of men are quite unaware that they are depressed. Instead, their depression is identified when they lament to their primary care doctor that they are fatigued or lack, "get up and go".

This article is 5th in a 7 part series.

Symptoms of anxiety

Does your anxiety warrant a consultation with a psychologist or mental health therapist?: Take this anxiety quiz

Generalized Anxiety Disorder Treatment

Symptoms of Depression (This article)

Do your symptoms of depression warrant a consultation with a psychologist or mental health therapist?

Treatment for Clinical Depression

Disclaimer

The site does not provide advice regarding the symptoms of anxiety and depression or regarding any other psychological concern. Rather, the content is intended to be for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional psychological advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns regarding a psychological or work-life difficulty, seek professional evaluation. Do not disregard professional advice or delay in seeking it because of anything that you have read on this web site.

This article is the fourth article of a seven part series.