Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent of feeling sadness and loss of interest. It is also called a major depressive disorder that tremendously affects how you feel, think and behave which can emotionally and physically influence you. As a result, doing your normal day to day activities suddenly becomes difficult and sometimes you may feel as if life isn’t worth living. No matter what you think of depression, this sickness isn’t just as easy to get rid of.
Although depression may occur once in your life, some experience multiple episodes of it. As you browse this site, you’ll discover several symptoms of depression:
- Sudden feeling of sadness and hopelessness in life
- Unusual outbursts or frustration even when dealing with small things
- Loss of interest or pleasure even from things you used to love doing
- Sleep disorder and disturbances, like insomnia
- Tiredness and lack of energy
- Loss of appetite and weight loss or excess gain of weight
- Panic attacks, agitation, anxiety or restlessness
- Slow thinking and speaking capability
- Can’t move properly
- Feelings of worthlessness because of past failures or self –blame
- Trouble thinking which can reduce concentration and proper decision making
- Memory loss
- Suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts or suicide
- Unexplained back pain, headaches and other physical problems
All these symptoms highly affect your day to day routines. That explains why depressed people can’t seem to work, go to school or do household chores properly. They experience misery without knowing the root cause of it.
And just like other medical disorders, depression affects individuals of all ages.
- For children, depression may include sadness, worry, aches and body pains, irritability, sudden clinginess and refusing to go to school, or being underweight.
- For young adults and teens, symptoms may include unexplained sadness, irritability, feeling worthless and angry. Moreover, poor attendance or performance at school or work, feeling misunderstood and extremely sensitive over petty things. They often use drugs or alcohol, eating or sleeping too much. Worse, they avoid social interaction.
Depression shouldn’t be taken lightly. Most especially if the condition goes undiagnosed and untreated in older adults. Symptoms of depression for adults are different and are less obvious:
- Memory loss or personality changes
- Behavioral problems
- Physical or body aches
- Extreme tiredness or fatigue, loss of appetite, sleep problems or loss of interest
- Isolating themselves inside their home rather than socially interacting with others
- Suicidal thoughts and attempts
If you think you’re a candidate for depression, it’s best to find the best mental health expert straight away. You can seek help from a friend or someone you trust if you feel uneasy in seeking professional help at first.