Symptoms of Depression

Not everyone who is depressed or manic experiences every symptom. Some people experience a few symptoms, some many. Severity of symptoms varies among individuals and also varies over time.

  • Persistent sad, anxious, or empty mood
  • Feelings of hopelessness or pessimism
  • Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness
  • Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities that were once enjoyed, including sex
  • Decreased energy, fatigue, being "slowed down"
  • Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions
  • Insomnia, early morning awakening or oversleeping
  • Appetite and/or weight loss, or overeating and weight gain
  • Thoughts of death or suicide, suicide attempts
  • Restlessness, irritability
  • Persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment, such as headaches, digestive disorders and chronic pain

Dig Deeper in the Diagnosis Dictionary



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Depression Blogs

  • Russ Federman, Ph.D., ABPP

    Bipolar You

    The young adult's guide to bipolar depression.
  • Jonathan Rottenberg, PhD

    Charting the Depths

    Reflections on the science of depression.
  • Depression Management Techniques

    Understanding how your brain makes you depressed and what you can do to change it.
  • Focus on Forgiveness

    Forgiveness and its connection to anxiety, depression, and overall health and happiness.
  • Generation Meds

    How antidepressants cheered us up, let us down, and changed who we are.
  • Julie Hersh

    Struck By Living

    Coping with depression and living life to the fullest.
  • Karen Kleiman, MSW, LCSW

    This Isn't What I Expected

    Notes on healing postpartum depression.

Symptoms of Depression Tests

Anxiety

Do stress and anxiety interfere with your life?