Depression Symptoms

Depression is a common mental illness or condition wherein individuals persistently feel sad, hopeless and lose interest in activities that used to give them pleasure at some point of time. Individuals suffering from depression may also feel a great deal of fatigue or may have low energy levels. The depression symptoms initially are rather subtle and therefore quite hard to recognize. With time however these symptoms tend to become worse.

The most important depression symptoms include feelings of guilt, extreme sadness and despair. These feelings tend to adversely affect the normal functioning of individuals. Many people tend to lose interest in sex as well. The other symptoms associated with this condition include insomnia or hypersomnia, excessive loss or gain of weight and feeling excessively restless.

Among the different depression symptoms some symptoms that may be experienced in certain cases include increased irritability, feeling tired, feeling unworthy or suffering from extreme low self esteem and concentration problems. Many people suffering from depression also tend to experience problems in decision making.

Having suicidal thoughts is also one of the common depression symptoms and in many cases those suffering from depression tend to think or talk about death often. Those suffering from this condition may also feel tearful. A person having at least 5 of such symptoms besides persistent sadness for a period of 2 weeks or more can be said to be suffering from depression.

Among women the depression symptoms experienced may include changes in mood before the menstruation period. Those suffering from depression also tend to have some physical problems that include headaches, body aches as well as pain. Many people also tend to suffer from diarrhea and constipation. Those having this condition may also complain of heaviness in the legs and arms and may be excessively sensitive towards rejection.

Among elderly individuals depression symptoms may include forgetfulness and confusion. The symptoms associated with this condition are in general rather difficult to identify. Depression and its associated symptoms may occur due to a number of factors and these may include genetic factors, chemical imbalances in brain, psychological factors as well as occurrence of certain stressful situations.

Women may be more susceptible to experiencing depression as compared to men. This is because women may have to face greater amount of stress both on the work front as well as on the personal front. Women are also more prone to experiencing depression symptoms like anxiety and sadness while men are more likely to experience symptoms like fatigue and irritability. Men are also more likely to seek relief from depression through consumption of alcohol and drugs.

Depression and its associated symptoms can be treated depending on the kind of symptoms, duration of the symptoms and the severity of the symptoms. Based on the particulars of the case the treatment for the symptoms may include medication along with therapy. Exercise is important as it helps in providing relief from the symptoms associated with this condition. If the depression symptoms are mild in nature then mere therapy may be employed for the treatment of this condition.

Where the depression and related symptoms are mild in nature individuals are able to perform all their activities. In moderate depression the symptoms may make it difficult for individuals to function normally while in severe depression normal functioning becomes impossible and the symptoms tend to affect the job, career and the relationships of individuals.