Signs of Depresssion

If you have been feeling down in the dumps and not like your normal self for a while, you may want to consider the possibility that you are not simply experiencing a typical low. It might instead be depression, a mental disorder. Clinical depression is a serious health condition that can greatly impede a person from living a normal, healthy and happy existence. Learn to identify some of the most common signs of depression.

Energy Loss

• Energy loss can be an indication of a serious problem. If you constantly feel exhausted, without the energy to do anything from work to socializing, you may be suffering from depression. If even the easiest of things seems like a major chore (such as running to the grocery store to pick up dinner), depression may be leading you to overwhelming fatigue and energy loss.

Interests

• If your interests and hobbies no longer seem exciting or engaging to you, depression could be your issue. When a person is living with depression, he often stops enjoying all of the things that previously made him happy, whether it was playing sports, reading mystery novels or taking photographs.

Sadness

• An overall and heavy feeling of sadness and darkness (even when nothing major has changed in your life) is one of the most telling signs of depression. If these strong feelings are keeping you awake at night and do not leave you even in your daytime hours, then you need to seriously consider the possibility that you are depressed and need to seek assistance from a health-care professional.

Worrying

• Extreme worrying can also point to depression. When a person is overwhelmed by lingering and nagging anxieties and worries, it often is linked with depression. If you are constantly experiencing thoughts of negativity and doom, depression could be the culprit.

Appetite Loss

• When an individual is going through the turmoil of depression, appetite loss is very common. As a result, weight loss is also very indicative of depression.

Sleeping Habits

• Changes in sleeping habits also can indicate depression. If a person is having trouble falling and staying asleep, it is likely due to the fact that his heavy thoughts and emotions are preventing him from doing so. With depression, restless and peaceful sleep often seems very far away, if not impossible. On the other hand, sleeping too much (or all day in some cases) also can be a sign of depression.

Substance Abuse

• Substance abuse and addiction also are often related to feelings of depression. When a person turns to obsessive alcohol or drug use, if often is to cope with (or drown out entirely) overwhelming emotions and feelings of hopelessness in life.

Agitation

• When a person is easily annoyed or agitated, and has a much quicker temper than usual, it could be due to depression. When a person gets upset or irked about something that otherwise wouldn't bother him, depression often is the cause.

Suicide

• When feelings of unhappiness are so strong and consistent that a person considers taking her own life through suicide, it is a sign of a very serious case of depression. If you notice that you or someone you know is displaying suicidal tendencies, it is crucial to seek medical attention as soon as possible.

Focus

• Having a hard time focusing, sitting still or concentrating on a single thing for an extended period of time also is a symptom of depression. Focus issues can lead to big problems at work, at school and involving family and friends. Another sign of focusing issues is memory loss.