Common Signs of Depression

Depression is an illness that brings about an extreme feeling of unhappiness and loss of interest. More commonly known as major depression or clinical depression, this illness affects how a person thinks, feels, and behaves. The consequences of depression can be very devastating that it may cause a person to withdraw from doing normal activities of his daily life and even feel that life isn't worth living.

Depression is not something that you can easily run away from. It is a serious illness that often needs continuing treatment, in much the same way as high blood pressure or diabetes.  But this shouldn't worry you. Many people with depression receive help through psychological counselling, medication or other treatment.

Sadness is a natural feeling that we all experience. But when sadness becomes so extreme that it prevents you from living a quality life, then you might be suffering from depression. Knowing the signs of depression should help you know whether or not your sadness can be considered clinical depression.  Here are some of them:

• Frequent irritability even over insignificant matters
• Loss of interest in activities that one used to enjoy
• Lower sex drive
• Insomnia or too much sleeping
• Significant changes in appetite, either loss of appetite or too much cravings for food
• Restlessness or agitation
• Bouts of anger
• Distractibility, indecisiveness, and inability to concentrate
• Tiredness, fatigue, and loss of energy
• Feeling guilty or worthless
• Trouble concentrating, thinking, and making decisions
• Recurrent thoughts about dying, death, or suicide
• Crying bouts without any reason

Signs of depression can be very visible in some people. Others just feel unhappy or miserable without knowing why. Depression may affect a person in a different way from other people, so signs of depression also differ from person to person. When you think you're suffering from clinical depression, it is important to seek for professional help as soon as possible.