What Does Depression Look Like?
Depression can appear in different ways for each person. It may be accompanied by physical symptoms like unexplained pain, digestive problems or sleeping trouble.
Certain factors can make people more susceptible to depression, including genetics or ongoing difficulties, such as long-term unemployment or living in an abusive relationship. But even if your life seems to be okay, you may still experience depression.
Feelings of hopelessness
While everyone feels sad or down sometimes, if these feelings are persistent and severe and interfere with daily activities, you may be depressed. You may feel like you have no hope or that nothing will ever get better. Men and women experience depression differently, and their symptoms are also different from each other.
If the symptoms are so severe that you have trouble taking care of yourself or you think you might harm yourself, your doctor might recommend hospital or residential treatment. They may also prescribe psychotherapy or an antidepressant. Depending on the severity of your symptoms, therapy can take 10 to 15 sessions or longer. Some people may see a dramatic improvement after just a few sessions. For others, it takes time and perseverance.
Loss of interest or pleasure
Feeling sad or low at times is a normal part of life. However, if a person feels down on a regular basis for weeks or months it could be depression.
Depression can be triggered by many things. Psychiatrists generally view it as a complex disorder, often resulting from a mix of biological, psychological, and social (or environmental) factors. Having a family history of depression may increase the risk, as can certain health conditions that cause mood changes.
Depression is also linked to changes in brain chemistry, specifically the levels of neurotransmitters. This can make the feelings of sadness or lack of pleasure seem overwhelming and insurmountable. This can affect daily activities like sleeping and eating. It can also lead to reckless behavior. It is a serious condition that needs medical treatment.
Difficulty concentrating
While feeling down from time to time is normal, when a person feels this way constantly, they may be depressed. This symptom affects a person’s ability to think clearly, and can make it difficult for them to make decisions or concentrate on work, school or social activities.
Depression is more than just a bout of the blues, and it’s not something that can be “snapped out of.” Most people feel better with medication, psychotherapy or both. Support someone who is depressed by listening and encouraging them to follow their treatment plan. Offer to take them out for walks and other social activities, and help them set reminders to take their medication. Depression can sometimes be triggered by a combination of events or circumstances, including illness, financial problems or relationship issues.
Feelings of guilt or worthlessness
Feelings of worthlessness can be a warning sign of depression. It can also be the result of certain life events or personal issues that have impacted self-esteem, such as divorce, job loss, financial problems or other major setbacks. People prone to attributing negative events to internal causes are also more likely to experience depression.
These dark feelings can make it difficult to enjoy things you once did, and may cause you to focus on and dwell on negative thoughts that can lead to feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness. These are feelings that need to be addressed with the help of a mental health professional.
Persistent thoughts of suicide
People who are depressed often have intrusive thoughts that persist despite their efforts to dismiss them. These thoughts can include a wish to end their life, a desire to kill themselves, or a plan for how they might do so.
While everyone feels down or blue from time to time, depression is an illness that requires a health care professional's attention and treatment. The following signs of depression may indicate that it is time to see a doctor:
Depression may be caused by genetics or by certain life events such as the death of a loved one, a divorce, or a job loss. But it can also happen for no apparent reason. Depression can be treated with psychotherapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy, or with antidepressant medication.
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Depression can appear in different ways for each person. It may be accompanied by physical symptoms like unexplained pain, digestive problems or sleeping trouble. Certain factors can make people more susceptible to depression, including genetics or ongoing difficulties, such as long-term unemployment or living in an abusive relationship. But even if your life seems to…