Is It Depression?
Are you concerned that you’re suffering from symptoms of depression? Study this list of common signs of mood disorder, and make an appointment to discuss them with your doctor.
A patient must demonstrate five or more of the following symptoms for a mood disorder to be classified as depression; one of the symptoms must be depressed mood or loss of interest in pleasurable activities:
- Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day.
- Markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost all activities most of the day, nearly every day.
- Significant weight loss when not dieting or weight gain (a change of 5% or more in a month), or increase or decrease in appetite nearly every day.
- Insomnia or hypersomnia nearly every night.
- Psychomotor agitation or retardation nearly every day.
- Fatigue or loss of energy every day.
- Feelings of worthlessness or inappropriate guilt.
- Diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness, nearly every day.
- The symptoms cause significant impairment in social, occupational and other areas of functioning.
- These symptoms are not a direct effect of substance abuse or another condition such as hypothyroidism.
- If these symptoms are not accounted for by bereavement, i.e. after the loss of a loved one, or other major losses with symptoms persisting longer than a month.
