Symptoms
The symptoms of
may be hard to notice at first. They can be
different from person to person, and you may confuse them with just feeling
"off" or "down." You also may confuse the symptoms with another health
problem.
The two most common symptoms of depression are:
- Feeling sad or hopeless nearly every
day.
- Losing interest in or not getting pleasure from most daily
activities, and you feel this way nearly every day.
A serious symptom of depression is thinking about death and
suicide. If you or someone you care about talks about suicide or feeling
hopeless, get help right away.
You also may:
- Lose or gain weight. You may also feel like eating more or less
than usual almost every day.
- Sleep too much or not enough almost every day.
- Feel restless and not be able to sit still, or you may sit
quietly and feel that moving takes great effort. Others can easily see this
behavior.
- Feel tired or as if you have no energy almost every day.
- Feel unworthy or guilty nearly every day. You may have low
and worry that people don't like you.
- Find it hard to focus, remember things, or make decisions nearly
every day. You may feel anxious or worried about things.
Are you depressed?
If you have
at least five of the above symptoms for 2 weeks or longer, and one of the
symptoms is either sadness or loss of interest, you may have depression and may
need treatment. If you have 2 to 4 symptoms for a
period of at least 2 years (1 year for a child), you may have a long-term form
of depression called
(dysthymia).
Even if you have fewer symptoms, you may still
be depressed and may benefit from treatment. No matter how many symptoms you
have, it's important to see your doctor. The sooner you get treatment, the
better your chance for a quick and full recovery.
It's possible
to have periods of both energy and elation () and
depression. This may be
. If this happens to you, tell your
doctor. The treatments for depression and bipolar disorder are different. For
more information, see the topic
Bipolar Disorder.
If you think you may
have depression, take a short quiz to check your symptoms:
- Interactive Tool: Are You Depressed?
