The Manifestation of Depression

Depression (major depressive disorder) is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act. Depression causes feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest in activities once enjoyed. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems and can decrease a person’s ability to function at work and at home.

Depression symptoms can vary from mild to severe and can include:

• Feeling sad or having a depressed mood

• Loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed

• Changes in appetite — weight loss or gain unrelated to dieting

• Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much

• Loss of energy or increased fatigue

• Increase in purposeless physical activity (e.g., hand-wringing or pacing) or slowed movements and speech (actions observable by others)

• Feeling worthless or guilty

• Difficulty thinking, concentrating or making decisions

• Thoughts of death or suicide

Most of us know what Depression is like and what it usually presents like. It is the most common of all mental health problems, and also the leading cause of disability across populations. Many times, people fail to notice some atypical features that might hint towards depression, which is why most of the time, it goes unnoticed.

Depression may not necessarily manifest in the typical ways as seen in the above mentioned symptoms. The other ways it can manifest in are:

• Memory Problems

• Hypersomnia

• Chronic Pain

• Increased appetite

• Anger/Aggression

• Loss of Sex Drive

• Increase in Substance Abuse

It is vital for us to know the typical as well as the atypical symptoms of depression so that everyone can seek appropriate care and attention and no individual suffering from the same goes unattended or untreated.