Are You Depressed? Check For These Symptoms

Everyone experiences depression at least once in their life at some point. This could be over a loss of a loved, an end to a long term relationship, or maybe not getting the job of your dreams, among many other possible reasons.

Depression as a mental illness, or clinical depression, is defined as experiencing certain symptoms for a period of at least two weeks. This article is going to cover some of the main symptoms of depression. If you find that you answer yes to one or more of the symptoms I am about to discuss, please seek out your doctor and talk to them about the next possible steps.

Number 1: Feeling Hopeless

You may tend to feel hopeless about your life. Things will never get better, you won't accomplish anything with your life, etc.

The feelings of hopelessness can be very difficult to deal with. Those feelings and thoughts can easily dig you into a hole that is very difficult to get out of.

Number 2: Self-hate

You consistently hate certain things about yourself even though others point out that, that part of you is great or you may even hate everything about yourself all the time.

Number 3: Feeling Worthless

Feelings of worthlessness can make you feel or think that you have nothing to offer anyone, you're not good at anything, or maybe even that no one would notice if you disappeared.

Number 4: Guilt

You always feel that everything is all your fault. Even when others point out that there is no fault from you, you find even the smallest way that it could have been your fault.

Number 5: Anxiety

Depression isn't necessarily the cause of anxiety but more often than not you will find that someone who is depressed also deals with anxiety.

Common symptoms of anxiety:

• Nervousness, restlessness, or feeling tense.
• Feeling you are in danger, feeling panicked, or irrational dread.
• Increased heart rate.
• Breathing quickly.
• Increased sweating. Commonly, having sweaty palms.
• Difficulty focusing or thinking about anything other than something you are worried about.

Number 6: Fatigue and/or Sleeping Problems

You find yourself constantly feeling tired even though you had a good night's sleep.

You may find yourself either sleeping more than normal and/or sleeping throughout the day. Or you find that you either can't sleep at all or can only get a few hours of sleep here and there.

Number 7: Loss of Interest

Things that you used to have an interest in no longer has any interest, or the interest has been greatly decreased.

Maybe you used to do a lot of reading and now you have no interest in picking up a book, or maybe you can only read a few pages before putting the book down because you just can't get into it.

Number 8: Increased Irritability for Men

While women may experience the increased irritability as well, it is more common in men. You might find yourself getting irritated about things that normally wouldn't affect you, or perhaps feeling more irritation about a situation than it would warrant.

Number 9: Uncontrollable Emotions

Your emotions tend to bounce all over the place. You could be happy and laughing and all of a sudden find that you are sad and even crying. You could then bounce to being angry and then back to happy for no apparent reason.

Number 10: Changes to appetite and weight

You may find that your appetite increases or decreases. Your weight can also increase or decrease.

Number 11: Thoughts of death

Many people with depression experience suicidal thoughts. Although suicidal thoughts are very common with depression, it doesn't have to be thoughts of taking your own life to indicate you have depression. Thoughts as basic as "I wish I weren't alive" or even just fantasizing about dying by natural causes or an accident can indicate that you are suffering from depression.