Symptoms of Depression

Depression varies from person to person, but there are some common signs and symptoms of depression. Most commonly, the person with depression feels hopeless, sad, and has lost interest in doing the things that were once pleasurable.

Sometimes people may not realise how depressed they are, especially if they have been feeling the same for a long time, if they have been trying to cope with their depression by keeping themselves busy, or if their symptoms of depression are more physical than emotional.

Here are common symptoms people with depression experience:

• Difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions
• Fatigue and decreased energy
• Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, and/or helplessness
  

  
• Feelings of hopelessness and/or pessimism
• Insomnia, early morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping
• Irritability, restlessness
• Loss of interest in activities or hobbies once pleasurable, including sex
• Loss of pleasure in life
• Overeating or appetite loss
• Persistent aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that do not ease even with treatment
• Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" feelings
• Thoughts of suicide or suicide attempts
• Crying spells for no apparent reason
• Unexplained physical problems, such as back pain or headaches

Depression affects each person in different ways, so symptoms of depression vary from person to person. Inherited traits, age, gender and cultural background all play a role in how depression may affect you. Depression seems to be related to an imbalance of certain chemicals in your brain. Some of these same chemicals play an important role in how you feel pain. So many experts think that depression can make you feel pain differently than other people.