Know the Signs of Depression and Improve Your Life

Typical signs of depression actually show a change in the way a person has come to think about himself.

"I just can't get myself to do any work around the house. My marriage is falling apart."

"My hair is thinning. I'm losing my looks. No one will care about me anymore."

These are typical thoughts of people who are depressed and show a change in thinking, feeling and acting.

Here are other signs of depression :

Continual feelings of sadness, emptiness and helplessness that seem to have no cause

Loss of interest or pleasure in ordinary activities

Decreased energy, fatigue

Sleep and/or eating problems

Difficulty concentrating and making decisions

Feelings of guilt, worthlessness and helplessness

Irritability, excessive crying

Chronic physical aches and pains that do not go away

Feelings of hopelessness

Thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts

If a person shows several of the above signs of depression for an extended period (2 weeks or more) he should consult a physician.

Although the change may come on gradually, the depressed person is different from the way he was before the onset of his illness perhaps even the opposite of his usual self. There are many signs of depression confirming this change : the successful businessman who believes he is on the brink of bankruptcy, the devoted mother who wants to abandon her children, the gourmet who can't stand food, the playboy who becomes disgusted with sex. Instead of seeking pleasure, the depressed person avoids it. Instead of caring for himself, he neglects himself and his appearance. His instinct to survive may give way to a desire to end his life. His drive to succeed may be replaced by passivity and withdrawal.

The most obvious and typical signs of depression relate to a sad mood: gloomy, lonely, apathetic. The depressed person may find himself crying even when there seems to be nothing to cry about or may find it impossible to cry when a truly sad event occurs. He may have trouble sleeping or wake early in the morning, unable to return to sleep. On the other hand, feeling constantly tired, he may sleep more than usual. He may lose his appetite and lose weight, or eat more than he does normally and gain weight.

Signs of depression also relate to self-esteem. Typically, the depressed person sees himself in a very negative way. He may believe that he is helpless and alone in the world and often blames himself for trivial faults or shortcomings. He is pessimistic about himself, about the world, and about his future. He loses interest in what is going on around him and doesn't get satisfaction out of activities < he used to enjoy. Often, he has trouble making decisions or getting himself to carry out decisions he has made.

Some people don't show the usual signs of depression. They may complain instead of physical discomfort or suffer from alcoholism or drug addiction. When a person always seems tired or bored with what he is doing, he may actually be depressed. When bright children do poorly in school over a period of time, this too may point to depression. There is even evidence that the overly active child may be compensating for an underlying depression.

Learn more about depression at http://www.VagusNerveStimulator.com

Charles E. Donovan

Author

Out of the Black Hole: The Patient's Guide to Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Depression

---

Depression in Teenagers: Now What Can We Do?

No doubt you have seen the recent news headlines about... Read More

New Treatment for Chronic Depression

Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Chronic Treatment-Resistant Depression About Vagus Nerve... Read More

Tuning the Music Therapist

Music so strongly evokes emotional responses that it is being... Read More

Tips to Beat Depression

We all have days when we are down, worn out... Read More

Are You Someones Puppet? Four Ways People Manipulate Others

With the current interest in mental health topics, a mental... Read More

Antidepressants: Control or Cure?

What's curious is that most of them will be on... Read More

Acidity Depresses Thyriod Function

THE RISKAccumulation of acids in your body, due to insufficient... Read More

Depression: One Womans Story

Sharon was talking to a friend on the phone one... Read More

Depression-My Story

What is depression?Depression is a serious medical illness; it's not... Read More

Disability is NOT a Life Sentence

On September 30th 1998 I was crossing the street in... Read More

Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Depression

Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Chronic or Treatment-Resistant Depression About Vagus... Read More

Insurance Reimbursement for Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Depression

I attended the Vagus Nerve Stimulation Therapy Conference at the... Read More

Seven Steps to Good Mental Health

Psychological well-being is something that we all have a right... Read More

The Formula for Preventing Depression

While it is arguable that depression is not always preventable,... Read More

So You?ve Been Diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder?

If you've been diagnosed with bipolar disorder (also known as... Read More

New Treatment for Depression to be FDA Approved by Late June

With the next few weeks, the FDA is expected to... Read More

Change Your Life Forever with New Medical Breakthrough Treatment for Depression

With the next few weeks, the FDA is expected to... Read More

What Is God Thinking?

What can you say to a parent who loses a... Read More

5 Tips to Reduce Depression

While war and poor economic conditions begin to affect people... Read More

Major Depression and Its Serious Complications

When suffering from clinical depression, people have different ways of... Read More

Stress and Depression are Killing Us!

A short generation ago, families could set their watch by... Read More

New FDA Approved Therapy for Depression: Timeline from Prescription to Procedure

On July 18, 2005, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration(FDA)... Read More

How to Put an End to Depression

Depression can have many, many faces. If you are not... Read More

When Your Fears and Depression Have the Best of You

What do you do when your fears and depression are... Read More

Depression is the Number One Cause of Disability in the United States

According to the World Health Organization, 4 of the 10... Read More

Seven Ways To Deal With Your Depression

It has just been announced, after a study by a... Read More

Do You Think You Have Depression?

Do you have days where nothing can make you happy?... Read More

Sources of Online Suicide Help for People Suffering from Severe Depression

There are Many Resources for Online Suicide HelpFirst of all,... Read More

Depression: Bringing Yourself Down

Sometimes it's hard to see the forest from the trees.... Read More

Major Symposium About Vagus Nerve Stimulation & Depression at the American Psychiatric Association

A major symposium about vagus nerve stimulation as a treatment... Read More

Depression

The 'experts' have tried to evaluate me as a sufferer... Read More

A Simple Cure For Anxiety And Depression

Our innate desire is to be happy, and when we... Read More

First Thing You Should Do to Get Out of Depression

Depression, in psychiatry, is a symptom of mood disorder characterized... Read More