Prominent depression symptoms seem most noticeable to someone with depression and those around him. However, they are not necessarily the "first" signs of depressive illness. Prominent symptoms are often what will first lead someone to identify the illness and seek treatment. Additionally, these types of symptoms may lead those around the sufferer to take notice and encourage treatment. Depression is a serious public health problem; the National Institute of Mental Health estimates that 14.8 million adult Americans suffer from depression in a given year.
Physical Symptoms
Often we think of the sadness or decreased mood aspects of depression as most prominent. However, there are physical symptoms that occur that are often the first indication of the illness. These symptoms may also be the most disruptive early on in the course of the illness and result in a noticeable change in appearance or daily functioning and school or work performance. Sometimes physical symptoms are also more "acceptable" than the emotional or cognitive symptoms of the illness. The most noticeable of these types of symptoms are decreased energy, insomnia or hypersomnia (too much sleep) and problems with your appetite including weight loss or gain. Depression can also manifest in other physical complaints like aches and pains, headaches or digestive problems and deplete energy and motivation to take care of yourself (e.g. bathing, grooming).
Mental Symptoms
The mental symptoms of depression may be prominent if they're affecting your school and/or work performance. Depression's mental symptoms are sometimes more subtle but the impact to your functioning is the prominent aspect, calling attention and awareness to the illness. Mental signs of depression are changes in thinking both in terms of content and efficiency. Often the change in attitude (like increased pessimism) is noticeable to those around you. Other mental signs include difficulty concentrating or forgetfulness and difficulty with decision making which can be disruptive to your daily responsibilities and requirements at work or school. Other mental symptoms like anhedonia (not enjoying things you previously enjoyed) and avolition (being unable to motivate yourself) are also prominent symptoms in the way they affect how you engage in your normal friendships and activities.
Emotional Symptoms
The emotional or mood-related symptoms of depression are often the most recognizable although certainly not always the most prominent. Most of us think of sadness when we think of depression. Often, sadness is not the most prominent emotional symptom and instead you may be feeling (and demonstrating) more irritability, anxiety, guilt or worthlessness. Often most troubling are feelings of helplessness and/or hopelessness and preoccupation with death and dying or even suicidal thinking. Most dangerously, a suicide attempt is the most prominent symptom of depressive illness that has gone without detection or successful treatment.
References
- U.S. National Institure of Mental Health - Depression Statistics and Information
- "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th Ed.)"; American Psychiatric Association; 2000
