Physical symptoms of depression can include: feeling tired all the time. feeling sick and run down.
If you have been experiencing some of the following signs and symptoms most of the day, nearly every day, for at least two weeks, you may be suffering from depression: Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” mood. Feelings of hopelessness, or pessimism. Feelings of irritability, frustration, or restlessness.
1. Hopeless outlook. Major depression is a mood disorder that affects the way you feel about life in general. Having a hopeless or helpless outlook on your life is the most common symptom of depression.
Major depressive disorder and persistent depressive disorder are two of the most common types of depression that people experience, however, there are many types of depression. What most mood disorders have in common are major depressive episodes. This is also true of bipolar disorder, another type of mood disorder.
The DSM-5 outlines the following criterion to make a diagnosis of depression. The individual must be experiencing five or more symptoms during the same 2-week period and at least one of the symptoms should be either (1) depressed mood or (2) loss of interest or pleasure.
Major depressive disorder
Episodes of major depression were more common among: women (9.6 percent, compared to 6 percent in men) people between the ages of 18 and 25 (15.2 percent) people who describe themselves as being of two or more races or ethnicities (13.7 percent)
Suicidal Thoughts: An Emergency
For people who are severely depressed, suicide is a real threat. Each year, about 46,000 people in the U.S. take their own lives, although the true number may be higher.
Clinical depression is the more-severe form of depression, also known as major depression or major depressive disorder. It isn't the same as depression caused by a loss, such as the death of a loved one, or a medical condition, such as a thyroid disorder.
Hopeless outlook. Major depression is a mood disorder that affects the way you feel about life in general. Having a hopeless or helpless outlook on your life is the most common symptom of depression. Other feelings may be worthlessness, self-hate, or inappropriate guilt.
Insomnia (trouble falling asleep or staying asleep) is a major symptom of depression. The inability to get a good night's sleep can have serious consequences on the human body. This is especially true if someone already has other depression symptoms such as fatigue and low energy.
Especially when recurrent and with moderate or severe intensity, depression may become a serious health condition. It can cause the affected person to suffer greatly and function poorly at work, at school and in the family. At its worst, depression can lead to suicide. Over 700 000 people die due to suicide every year.
Fatigue or loss of energy. Feelings of worthlessness. Diminished ability to think or concentrate; indecisiveness. Recurrent thoughts of death, recurrent suicidal ideation without a specific plan, or a suicide attempt or specific plan for committing suicide.
People with depression may experience appetite changes, which can cause unintended weight loss or gain. Medical experts have associated excessive weight gain with many health issues, including diabetes and heart disease. Being underweight can harm the heart, affect fertility, and cause fatigue.
Depression affects your mood, thoughts, feelings, behaviors and physical health. Severe depression can result in losing the ability to feel pleasure in the things you once enjoyed. It can also cause you to withdraw from your social relationships even from people to whom you are closest.
These symptoms are usually present every day or almost every day, for at least two weeks.
The Impact of Major Depression on Overall Health
This difference in overall health, on average, translates to a reduction in future healthy life expectancy of 9.5 years for women and 9.7 years for men.