Depression symptoms include
1. Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” feelings
2. Feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness, or helplessness
3. Frequent crying episodes
4. Increased agitation and restlessness
5. Fatigue and decreased energy
6. Loss of interest in activities or hobbies that once were pleasurable
7. Difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions
8. Sleeping too much or not enough
9. Poor appetite or overeating
10. Loss of sexual interest
11. Expressing thoughts of dying or suicide
12. Trouble getting out of bed in the morning or maintaining ones hygiene
13. Persistent aches or pains, headaches, backaches, stomachaches that don’t ease with treatment.
. .. A general feeling of being unwell
Depression tends to run in families and very likely is caused by a mix of environmental stresses and genetic susceptibility. Medication may help by numbing feelings, but with cognitive/behavioral therapy most people recover from their depressed feelings quickly and may no longer need medication. When people learn what they are doing to cause themselves to become depressed and understand what they need to do to feel better, then recovery quickly follows.
