Signs Of Depression

Signs of Depression

If you have been feeling down or out of sorts lately and this has been happening for some time now, you might be wondering whether you are depressed or not. The following are the common signs of depression to help you find out.

However, even if what you are experiencing does not exactly "fit" the description or the signs of depression as stated here, if you have been feeling so down that you feel you need to do something about it, that is enough.

Often, the signs of depression are so varied that it is difficult to pinpoint just one and diagnose the condition right away.

Here are the signs of depression commonly reported by patients who have been diagnosed with clinical depression:

* Feelings of exhaustion, even when you just woke up

* Disrupted sleeping pattern, sometimes through upsetting dreams

* Waking up too early in the morning and difficulty getting back to sleep

* Lessening interest in activities that you used to enjoy

* Difficulty concentrating, especially during the day

* Energy improves as the day goes on

* Anxious worrying and intrusive upsetting thoughts

* Becoming emotional or upset for no particular reason

* Shortness of temper, irritability

When assessing yourself for any of these signs of depression, note that not all people experience all these. Some have different signs of depression. However, if you are depressed, then at least some of these symptoms may be true.

In diagnosing depression, it is the individual signs of the condition - that is, what you feel - that is important. Psychiatrists will only use the above signs of depression as obvious things to look out for, but in the end, what really matters is what you feel. Because of this, it is easy to see why there is so much confusion. In addition, the signs are generally common emotions and feelings.

Only health practitioners are truly qualified to formally diagnose depression. They use varied tests. However, all of these tests have a very similar framework. For instance, a person can be diagnosed as suffering from clinical depression if he or she suffers from five or more of any of the above signs of depression during the same 2-week period.

It should be noted that some signs of depression may manifest themselves physically, such as:

* Significant weight loss when not dieting

* Or weight gain (e.g., a change of more than 5% of body weight in a month)

* Or decrease or increase in appetite nearly every day

* Fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day

In addition to determining the signs of depression, the condition is diagnosed by the following factors:

* That the symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning

* That the symptoms are not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance or a general medical condition