Depression and symptoms

With depression, awareness is critical. Depression is an illness, and depression needs treatment. Women experience depression about twice as often as men. Yet the rate of suicide among men is four times that of women. Men are less likely to admit to depression and less likely to seek help. Also, men's and women's descriptions of symptoms are often different, with men reporting or experiencing anger and irratabilty and women reporting feelings of hopelessness or helplessness.

Depression is often thought of as a mental health issue (and is) but the physical symptoms of depression can also be debilitating.

There are many people who do not know or recognize the symptoms of depression—in themselves or in the people around them. And there are also many who do not know that depression is a treatable illness. Most people with a depressive illness do not seek treatment even though the great majority, including those whose depression is severe, can be helped. Thanks to years of fruitful research, there are now medications and psychosocial therapies such as cognitive/behavioral, "talk" or interpersonal varieties that ease the pain of depression.

Depression: Changes in in the body, changes in the mind

Medical conditions like diabetes, a heart attack, cancer, or  hormonal disorders can bring with it depressive illness, making a sick person unwilling to care for their physical needs. Also, a serious loss, difficult relationship, financial problem, or any stressful (unwelcome or even desired) change in life patterns can trigger a depressive episode.

Very often, a combination of genetic, psychological, and environmental factors is involved in the onset of a depressive disorder. Later episodes of illness typically are precipitated by only mild stresses, or none at all.

Depression can be devastating to family relationships, friendships, and the ability to work or go to school. This can, of course, feed on itself and make the depression symptoms worse for you or your loved one. Many people still believe that the emotional symptoms caused by depression are "not real" or just in one's mind, or that a person should be able to just shake off the symptoms.

Because of these inaccurate beliefs, people with depression either may not recognize that they have a treatable disorder or may be discouraged from seeking or staying on treatment due to feelings of shame or stigma. Tragically and too often, untreated or depression is associated with suicide.

Symptoms of depression

People who experience depression may have most of the following symptoms, or very few. In addition, many may not recognize a particular symptom (such as difficulty concentrating) as being a result of depression. Many people assume a symptom like restlessness is the result of stress—it may be, but it may also be one signal for depression. Since many types of stressful events can trigger depression, the important key is the awareness of the symptoms as part of a possibly serious condition. 

• Restlessness, irritability
• Insomnia, oversleeping, awaking early or often
• Pesistent sad, empty or anxious mood
• Feelings of pessimism, worthlessness, hopelessness
• Feelings of guilt, loss of interest/pleasure in hobbies or activities once enjoyable (including sex)
• Fatigue, feeling very tired, lack of energy
• Difficulty making decisions, concentration problems
• Weight loss or gain, loss of appetite
• Thoughts of death or suicide

Source:  healthandwellness.com