Symptoms of Depression

There is a huge difference between feeling depressed and actually suffering from clinical depression. The symptoms of clinical depression are overwhelming and all-consuming. Whereas you may feel gloomy or melancholy which makes you think you suffer from clinical depression, the actual symptoms of major depression are more intense and overpowering. Many people describe actual depression as if they are living in a black hole. It is something that they can't escape or get away from.

Symptoms of depression aren't just normal feelings of sadness; they are tremendous feelings of worthlessness, guilt, emptiness, and loneliness. For most people with clinical depression they have lost the ability to live and enjoy life which leads to an indifferent feeling of just going through the motions of leading their life. Often this results in more problems and more depression because things like your marriage, your job, and your hobbies are suffering because of the depression. The symptoms found in people suffering from clinical depression range from the mild to the very severe depending on how long the suffering has taken place. Here are some of the common symptoms:

  • Feeling of helplessness and hopelessness

  • Loss of interest in daily activities

  • Appetite or weight changes

  • Insomnia or oversleeping

  • Feelings of restlessness or feeling slowed down or sluggish

  • Fatigue and loss of energy

  • Worthlessness

  • Problems with concentration, making decisions, or remembering simple things

  • Irritability and becoming frequently annoyed or angry

  • Physical symptoms such as aches, pains, headaches, diarrhea, backaches, etc.

When a person suffers from clinical depression there doesn't seem to be any hope or actual feeling that this will get better. The negative thoughts and views of themselves and others enter their mind on a regular basis and to a person with clinical depression it seems like it will never end. In the most severe cases there are usually thoughts of suicide and death, especially in teenagers.

Depending on your age, you may have varying thoughts and symptoms. For example, in teenagers it is more irritability rather than sadness. In older adults they have symptoms may be more physical than emotional. For women the symptoms usually come in the form of weight gain or unexplained bouts of crying. They also tend to oversleep more and talk about feeling guilty a lot more. Lastly, in men, the symptoms tend to show up in forms of anger, aggression, substance abuse, and working extremely long hours. Although each group can have one or more of these symptoms, those are the more prominent feelings. Overall, if someone is having distorted thoughts or feelings of pessimism, anger, guilty, unhappiness, and indifference, it could be that they are suffering from clinical depression, and they need to seek treatment for it immediately.