subject: Symptoms Of Depression [print this page] Depression is one of the most debilitating mental disorders of our modern era. It affects nearly 10 million Americans every year. Although it is primarily thought of as a mental condition depression can also inflict varying amounts of pain and discomfort that manifest as physical symptoms of depression.
Having depression is often times a very confusing time in a person's life. There are many people that do not even know that they have a problem. They may not realize that there is something wrong with the way they think and see things around them. Having depression can also be a very dangerous thing, if it is not taken seriously. Ignoring a possible physical symptom of depression could lead to more problems further down the road. If in doubt, take it seriously.
There are different types of physical depression symptoms that a person can experience, and these symptoms will have a lot to do with the kind of depression that they are suffering from. For instance, clinical depression is usually accompanied by typical symptoms including irritability, extreme sadness and hopelessness. It also comes with the physical manifestations of loss of appetite and fatigue.
The depressed patient may have problems to fall asleep and to keep sleeping without waking up in the middle of the night, leading to permanent sleepiness during the day. Interestingly there are also cases where the patient sleeps more than usual. Another, though relatively minor, symptom of depression is loss of appetite. Among the most serious signs of depression is obsessive thinking of disease and death, and even suicidal thoughts, which in the worst case may lead to suicide attempts. Anxiety is also often associated with depression as is a general irritability and agitation.
Many depression sufferers don't realize that many of their physical complaints are caused by depression. But the sad truth is that depression can cause multiple physical symptoms, including:
--Fatigue
--Headaches
--Muscle aches
--Back pain
--Digestive troubles
--Chest pain
--Sleeping problems
--Changes in appetite and weight
Because many of these physical symptoms of depression can have multiple causes, many people don't realize that their suffering is caused by depression.
Treatments can include medication, psychological/psychiatric therapy and even lifestyle changes. If you've looked back over the list and discovered that you have had at least 5 of the symptoms for at least 2 weeks or longer, and one of the symptoms is either sadness or loss of interest, you might be diagnosed with major depression that deserves looking into treatment. However, even if you've got fewer than 5 symptoms, you may still be depressed and need some type of treatment. Remember, not getting treatment can be life threatening.
In those suffering from bipolar disorder, or manic depression, the symptoms of depression are not always evident. Bipolar sufferers fluctuate between severe depression and manic happiness, and because the switches occur at random, there is no way to tell that someone in the manic stage also suffers from depression.
One of the most severe signs of depression is a feeling of complete hopelessness. This usually occurs when a person is in a deep depression. This is extremely dangerous because this is when depressed people start having thoughts of suicide.
