What Are the Symptoms of Depression?
- Lack of motivation, or ‘get up and go’. Sometimes even simple tasks can seem difficult.
- Difficulty concentrating, for example, when reading and at work
- Sleep difficulties: difficulty getting to sleep, difficulty staying asleep or early morning wakening. Classically, this early morning wakening occurs when you wake up early but are unable to get back to sleep, and yet you still feel tired. Sometimes people with depression can oversleep.
- Feelings of sadness, sometimes with tearfulness
- Feelings of guilt
- Feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness
- Lack of energy
- Loss of interest in sex
- Erectile dysfunction
- Lack of emotion
- Change in appetite: this is usually a loss of interest in and taste for food with associated weight loss. However, sometimes comfort or binge eating can occur with subsequent weight gain.
- Feelings of irritability, agitation or restlessness
- Mood variation during the day, with symptoms often worse early in the day
- Physical symptoms including headaches, constipation, palpitations, fatigue or feeling tired all the time
- Thoughts of death, which may include passive death wishes, where someone feels they would be better off dead
- A feeling of ‘blackness’
- Occasional suicidal thoughts
As a general rule, the more of the above symptoms you have the more severe the depression. More severe forms of depression, particularly when associated with feelings of hopelessness about the future or worthlessness, can be associated with an increased risk of suicide. Stop Depression with Myviagrainaustralia.com!
Specific Medical Criteria for the Diagnosis of Major Depression
Symptoms of depression must be present nearly every day for at least two weeks and not explained by medical conditions, strokes or recent bereavement.
At least one of these two symptoms should be present:
- Depressed mood
- Severely diminished interest in or pleasure from activities that are usually pleasurable
In addition, at least four of the following seven symptoms should be present:
- Substantial change in appetite or weight loss or, less commonly, weight gain
- Inability to sleep or, less commonly, excessive sleep
- Fatigue or loss of energy
- Diminished physical activity or, less commonly, agitation
- Impaired ability to think, concentrate or make decisions
- Diminished self-esteem, with feelings of worthlessness or inappropriate guilt
- Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide
What Causes Depression?
Depression is thought to occur when there is a chemical imbalance in the brain. Men suffering from depression are thought to have lower levels of some of the chemical messengers in the brain, called neurotransmitters. The three neurotransmitters believed to be involved in depression are serotonin, dopaine and noradrenaline. It is thought that, when levels of serotonin or the other brain chemicals drop, then symptoms of depression kick in. This fall in neurotransmitter levels can occur without there being any obvious reason. Just like the man who eats a healthy diet can still have high cholesterol, the man without any obvious underlying cause can develop symptoms of depression.
However, stressful life events such as losing your job, relationship difficulties or illness can also trigger depression.