Diagnosing depression
Depression may result in feelings of
emptiness, crying without any apparent reason, and loss of pleasure
from daily life.
At its worst, depression can lead to
suicide. Depression affects about 19 million American adults each
year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
Depression manifests itself through a
variety of symptoms. The most common are deep feelings of sadness,
and a marked loss of interest or pleasure in activities. Other
symptoms include:
- changes in appetite that result in
weight losses or gains unrelated to dieting
- inability to sleep (insomnia) or
oversleeping
- loss of energy or increased
fatigue
- restlessness or irritability
- feelings of worthlessness or
inappropriate guilt
- difficulty thinking,
concentrating, or making decisions
You can be depressed without actually
feeling sad. Instead, a lot of people become irritable, angry, or
lose interest in activities that they enjoyed before. For this
reason, it may not always be easy to recognize depression in
yourself, a friend, or somebody you know.