Depression is a mental health condition that affects more than 20 million people in the United States, based upon estimates provided by Medline Plus, a health website sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Persistent depressive symptoms can significantly interfere with your daily life and may require medical or therapeutic treatment to resolve. Speak with your doctor if you have experienced symptoms of depression for two or more weeks.
Feeling Hopeless
If you consistently feel hopeless or pessimistic, you may be suffering from depression. You may frequently think that your life has no purpose or that the circumstances of your life will never work out favorably. Depression can cause you to begin to believe that your attempts at success will only end in failure.
Feeling Guilty
Frequent feelings of guilt or worthlessness may indicate that you have depression. You can feel consistently anxious, sad or empty, report health professionals at the National Institute of Mental Health. You may also feel helpless, irritable or restless as a result of this condition.
Lost Interest in Activities
Depression can cause you to lose interest in your usual activities. You may no longer want to go out with your friends for your weekly girls' night out. You can become uninterested in your usual hobbies. Sexual intimacy can also become less desirable to people who are struggling with depression.
Difficulty Sleeping
If you have depression, you can develop a number of sleeping problems due to this condition. Certain people with depression experience excessive tiredness or fatigue, which can cause them to sleep for long spans of time. In other people, depression can cause episodes of insomnia---an inability to fall asleep or stay asleep normally. You can begin to wake up earlier than usual and be unable to fall back asleep. Such symptoms can lead to increased daytime sleepiness, which can interfere with your ability to function normally.
Changes in Body Weight
A significant increase or decrease in your body weight can be a sign that you have depression. If you have this condition, you may find that you begin to eat more or less than usual. Such symptoms can contribute to feelings of fatigue or decreased energy.
Frequent Body Aches
Depression can cause flu-like symptoms. You can develop frequent or recurrent body aches, headaches, muscle cramps or gastrointestinal problems, which are typically unresponsive to traditional treatment. These symptoms can also lead to fatigue, difficulty sleeping or decreased interest in your usual activities.
Thoughts of Suicide
Recurrent thoughts of death can indicate that you are suffering from depression. You may begin to think that life is not worth living or that the people in your life would be better off without you. If you have thoughts of harming yourself or others, seek immediate emergency medical care for further treatment.
