Depression is a mood disorder that can range in severity from mild to debilitating. It can be classified as both a change in mood and as a medical diagnosis requiring intervention. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMN) states that approximately 20 million Americans suffer from various types of depression, including major depression, which may include suicidal thoughts; dysthymia, a mild chronic form of depression; and bipolar disorder, a condition in which extreme mood swings tend to occur. Some of the more common symptoms can manifest across all types and classifications of depression, making them important indicators to watch for in someone that seems depressed.
Negative Perceptions
Some of the more well-known outward expressions of depression can be a noted change in perceptions and an outlook that becomes generally negative in nature. Someone with depression may exhibit these indicators through general sadness, crying, unwarranted anxiety, apathy and irritability. In extreme cases, persons with depression may develop suicidal thoughts or fantasies. The Center for Addiction and Mental Health states that a person with depression may show a loss of interest in work, family, friends, hobbies and sex. Depressed people often feel they are useless, show excessive guilt or shame and find little value in activities that were once enjoyed or appreciated.
Sleep and Energy Disturbances
A sudden change in sleeping habits, including experiencing insomnia or sleeping excessively, can be a strong indicator of depression. Someone with depression may lack the motivation to get out of bed but may also have trouble acquiring quality restorative amounts of sleep. These sleep disturbances can lead to daytime fatigue that continues the cycle of this poor sleep pattern. Sleep disturbances associated with depression have been studied with the use of medication and psychotherapy, which are beneficial in restoring circadian rhythms, the 24-hour cycle of biochemical and physiological processes. Medical researchers at the University of California in San Francisco state that sleep disturbances caused by depression are best treated with medication for short-term insomnia and with cognitive-behavioral therapy for chronic sleep problems.
Weight and Appetite Changes
A common indicator of depression is an observed change in a person's weight, eating habits and diet. Weight changes can be brought on by either a lack of appetite or the excessive consumption of food beyond a healthy need for nutrition and calories. When these changes in diet habits are accompanied by sleep disturbances and prolonged inactivity, weight may plummet or surge, depending on the extremes in the situation. One of the primary diagnostic criteria for a major depressive episode according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV), is a change in more than 5 percent of body weight each month.
