Clinical Depression Symptoms

Do you have some clinical depression symptoms like feelings of sadness, loneliness or just feeling depressed? Clinical depression, also referred to as major depressive disorder, or major depression, is simply a prolonged state of unhappiness. This state is characterized by feelings of emptiness, sadness, loss of interest in some or all of one’s favorite activities, and poor concentration, among other signs.

Feeling depressed is a normal reaction to life’s struggles, loss, or an injured self-esteem. However, when these feelings worsen and last for some longer periods of time, they can make you stop living what is defined as normal life, which is active and ordinary. At this point, you may need medical attention because you might show symptoms of clinical depression. So, how can you tell that you are suffering from clinical depression?

A combination of a majority or all of the following signs of clinical depression, being exhibited by a person on a daily basis, may indicate the possibility of a major depressive disorder.

• Depressed mood (irritability in children and teenagers)
• Daily loss of energy and fatigue
• Feelings of guilt and worthlessness
• Difficulty to concentrate and to make decisions
• Sleeping problems (insomnia or hypersomnia)
• Weight loss or weight gain of more than 5% of body weight within a month, as well as changes in appetite
• Loss of interest in otherwise enjoyable activities
• Restlessness or being slowed down (psychomotor agitation or retardation)
• Thoughts of suicide and death

However, the final diagnosis can only be made by a qualified medical expert. It is therefore important to seek medical help when you suspect that you or a loved one is going down with clinical depression. Remember that you should first rule out medication side effects, bereavement, drug abuse, or other medical conditions like thyroid abnormalities, before suspecting clinical depression.

To be able to distinguish a condition as being major depression, you must have one of the symptoms being a depressed mood. Alternatively, you can have loss of interest. These symptoms must be present for the better part of the day, everyday or nearly every day, for at least two weeks. Then, a majority of the following other symptoms of depression should also be present.

If a person expresses feelings of extreme tiredness and fatigue for no apparent reason, with increased loss of energy almost every day, then this person may be clinically depressed. The person may also have impaired concentration and indecisiveness, with a clearly marked decrease in interest in all, or almost all activities, most of the day, nearly every day. Pleasurable activities that used to be enjoyed regularly are no longer enjoyed. This symptom, also called anhedonia, is noted and reported by partners (because one may loose sexual interest, too) and close family friends.

A clinically depressed person may report a rapid significant increase or decrease in weight, with a change of over 5% of the body weight within a month. This may also come together with appetite changes, the latter either becoming highly increased or completely lost. Thus, a person may either start overeating, or they may stop having the urge to eat completely. This happens nearly every day.

Insomnia (lack of sleep), or hypersomnia (excessive sleep) is another common symptom for this depressive disorder. A person tends to sleep a lot, or wants to stay in bed most of the time. Alternatively, some people may completely lack sleep, and when they catch some of it, they may get up very early in the morning and are then unable to fall back to sleep.

Restlessness (psychomotor agitation) or becoming slowed down (psychomotor retardation), are other symptoms that may be observed. A person, who previously used to be very calm, may start acting up and becoming very unsettled. On the other hand, you may find a person who usually takes up his tasks efficiently becoming extremely slow and even missing out on deadlines. One also starts moving slowly, with a lot of distracted thoughts. These persons are at a higher risk of causing accidents or harming themselves.

The climax of the clinical depression symptoms are regular and recurring suicidal thoughts, thoughts of death, lack of fear of death, planning of suicide, with some even attempting suicide. This comes as a result of the feelings of worthlessness and helplessness that one experiences. A person becomes very pessimistic, seeing no end in their misery other than in death.

Due to the aggravated nature of most of these clinical depression symptoms, good care and attention should be given to such a depressed person. It is also important to note that major depression can occur in children, teens, adults and the elderly alike. It has also been noted that women are at a higher risk of getting in to major depression than men, with twice the number of women getting depressed compared to men. This is mainly associated with the hormonal changes women go through in puberty, pregnancy, menstruation, menopause and miscarriage. Depression symptoms in women may vary from the signs of depression in men or the teenage depression symptoms. Medical help should be sought immediately whenever signs of clinical depression are suspected or detected.