Signs and Symptoms of Depression
Fatigue, Lethargy, Sleep Disorders and Weight Gain / Weight Loss
Sep 4, 2009
Clinical depression symptoms affect a person’s mental and physical well-being. Mental depression symptoms include persistent feelings of sadness, guilt and worthlessness. Physical symptoms of depression include changes in weight and energy levels. To make an accurate depression diagnosis an examining doctor needs a complete understanding of an individual’s symptoms.
Mental Depression Symptoms
Depression is a mental disorder. While capable of causing physical symptoms, depression’s primary symptoms are mental and emotional. Like other mood disorders depression is a complex illness, and individuals can experience very different symptoms of depression. Anger and irritability may dominate one person’s depression symptoms, while another person suffers from intense feelings of guilt and worthlessness.
Common mental signs and symptoms of depression include:
- anger or irritability
- difficulty focusing and thinking
- feeling “empty”
- feeling hopeless or worthless
- feelings of sadness
- loss of interest in activities usually enjoyed
- memory problems
- thoughts of self injury or suicide
- unexplained anxiety
- unexplained crying.
Physical Symptoms of Depression
Depression may be a mental disorder but that doesn’t stop the illness from having very real effects on physical health. Severe depression causes a variety of physical symptoms, including exhaustion and fatigue, general achiness, back pain and headaches. Chronic depression appears to suppress the immune system, impairing the body’s ability to fight off disease.
Depression disrupts chemical activity in areas of the brain associated with appetite, sleep regulation and libido (sexual desire). Changes in appetite are common depression symptoms, often resulting in unwanted weight gain or weight loss. Eating disorders and depression are often seen together, although it’s unclear whether depression causes eating disorders, or if such eating disorders can be considered depression complications.
Sleep disturbances are also common depression symptoms. While some people experience restlessness and insomnia, others find their need for sleep skyrockets during a depressive episode. Like eating disorders, sleep disorders are often seen in combination with depression, with the symptoms of one disorder worsening symptoms of the other.
Sexual desire, or libido, can suffer due to depression. Low libido may be a side effect of other depression symptoms, such as fatigue, exhaustion or feelings of worthlessness or inadequacy. Some cases of impotence have psychological causes such as depression, although physical causes of impotence should always be ruled out first.
Chronic Depression Symptoms
Taken alone, none of the mental or physical symptoms of depression listed here automatically indicate a depressive episode. Multiple symptoms of depression that persist for at least two weeks are required for a clinical diagnosis of depression.
Depression symptoms are insidious. Symptoms develop over time, and it can be difficult for people dealing with depression to identify their own symptoms, or take action to seek treatment. When the depressed person has thoughts of suicide or self injury they may be very unwilling to discuss their symptoms. Sometimes it takes a family member’s concerns to convince a depressed person to seek help. Fortunately there are many options for people seeking depression help, including mental health clinics, support groups and family doctors. Depression symptoms can be successfully treated.
Resources
Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (Retrieved 31 August, 2009). Depression (Major Depression).
National Women’s Health Information Center. (Retrieved 31 August, 2009). Depression.
Disclaimer: The information contained within this article is for informational purposes only, and is not intended to be a substitute in any way for care and treatment by a qualified health professional.
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