Depression

Depression varies from person to person. There are situations in life when it is normal to feel depressed or low for a few days or even weeks. However, if you realize that you have more than a few of the symptoms listed below and that they are not going away or even becoming disabling, it’s time to seek help.

Signs and symptoms of depression:

Feelings of helplessness and hopelessness or of being trapped
Loss of interest in daily activities such as hobbies, socializing or sex and you feel no joy or pleasure in anything you do
Appetite or weight change of more than 5% in a month – either you eat all the time or you can’t eat at all
Sleep changes – either insomnia, especially waking in the early hours of the morning, or sleeping all the time
Anger or irritability – feeling agitated, restless, short tempered, on edge or even violent, lashing out
Loss of energy – small tasks are exhausting and take forever to complete and you feel fatigued, sluggish, drained
Feelings of worthlessness or guilt for perceived faults and mistakes
Reckless behavior such as substance abuse, compulsive gambling or spending, reckless driving or extreme sports
Trouble concentrating, focusing, making decisions, feeling overwhelmed and forgetting simple things
Increased physical complaints such as headaches, back pain, aching muscles, and stomach pain – feeling like you can’t get relief no matter what you do
Decrease in personal hygiene
Thoughts of suicide