Do You Have These Depression Symptoms?

People regularly wonder whether they have depression symptoms or not. While some may see this as extreme, it is valid questions because as many as 16.1 million American adults, or 6.7% of the U.S. population, are affected by Major Depressive Disorders, according to Anxiety and Depression Association of America.

If you have experienced depression, then you might have heard things like, “just get over it” or “you’re just feeling blue.” Maybe you’ve even been told to just have “more faith.” Comments like these may be innocent in nature but come from someone who knows little about genuine depression.

We know one thing to be true: depression is no respecter of persons. People from all areas of life experience depression, Christians and non-Christians alike. It is common for depression to take place in the brain and can be related to deficiencies in brain chemistry.

Depression varies from person to person. Some will experience it during specific seasons, while others will experience it on and off. Still, others will experience consistent low-grade depression that never seems to go away.

Common Depression Symptoms

There are a lot of different roots and reasons for depression, but the goal of this article is to assess if depression is present and not identify why it is present. While depression will vary from person to person, there are some telltale signs.

The term depression or being depressed get thrown around a lot, but few people really know what they mean. This article cannot offer you a professional diagnosis, but it can help you understand how depression manifests in a person.

Being aware of the general symptoms of depression can help someone determine if they need further professional help. If you think you or a loved one might be dealing with the symptoms laid out in this article, then please pursue getting help.

There are as many as nine symptoms for a Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) The DSM-5 outlines that, “[at least] five or more of the following symptoms have been present in a two-week period and represent a change from previous functioning.”

You do not need to have all nine symptoms to qualify for a Major Depressive Disorder, you just need as many as five. When depressed, you actually have a “depressed mood (feel sad) or loss of interest or pleasure.”

Feeling depressed is more than feeling blue. Being depressed is often described as the saddest someone has ever felt and usually will not dissipate on its own. It also regularly includes losing interest in everything from work, social interactions, hobbies, relationships, and even make getting out of bed difficult.

The following list is a synopsis of the nine depression symptoms (MDD) according to the DSM-5 Diagnostic manual. For further clarification, get out a piece of paper and mark which ones apply to you so you can see where you fall. (All symptom quotes from the DSM-5 Diagnostic manual.)

1. “Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day, as indicated by either subjective report (e.g., feels sad, empty, hopeless) or observation made by others (e.g., appears tearful).”

Those struggling with depression usually feel hopeless. This feeling will appear differently in different people. Some will reach out to others, cry, and regularly confess their feelings of despair. Others will never cry, keep their head down, and not share what they are feeling. Everyone is different and will express their feelings differently.

The extreme “sad” feeling is better referred to as hopelessness and can be overwhelming. It is common for people dealing with depression to become isolated and start acting unusually. They also can become angry and unresponsive. A depressed person often appears emotionally unstable, either from a lack of emotion or extreme emotion.

2. “Markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities most of the day, nearly every day (as indicated by either subjective account or observation).”

Depression drains the energy of people. They lose interest in work and social activities. Once fun and life-giving activities will cease to take place. For example, people often give up hobbies. Whether it’s exercise, video games, or music, they will stop. They also isolate themselves from social gatherings and experiences. This is a significant sign of depression.

3. “Significant weight loss when not dieting or weight gain (e.g., a change of more than 5% of body weight in a month), or decrease or increase in appetite nearly every day.”

Depending on the person, depression can either lead to gain loss or weight gain. Some people will stop eating, while others will eat a lot more. And usually, when it comes to depression, the shift is significant. For example, 5% in a 200-pound man would be 10 pounds in a 4-week period (gain or loss).

It’s important to be aware that shifts in weight don’t always mean depression. It can be related to other disorders or healthy things, like diet and exercise. But if someone is displaying other symptoms and experiencing weight change, then you need to take that into account. Don’t be too quick to call a shift in weight a symptom of depression.

4. “Insomnia or hypersomnia nearly every day.”

Depression often affects sleep. It’s normal for a person dealing with depression to want to sleep all the time (hypersomnia) and is almost as common as not being able to sleep or stay asleep (insomnia).

On average, adults should sleep for seven to nine hours at night. If sleep is an issue, it may be best to see a doctor who can help diagnose sleep problems. For example, there are many sleep-related issues like pain at night or sleep apnea, which can prevent sleep. It’s important to rule out other physical symptoms before attributing it to depression.

While the difficulty is not always related to depression, depression often produces these symptoms. It is very common for someone feeling depressed to want to stay in bed all day. This can result in people mixing up their days and nights, only making matters worse.

It will be important to identify what sleep issue is taking place, so the person can begin working on getting better rest, especially good REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep to help them alleviate the depression.

5. “Psychomotor agitation or retardation nearly every day (observable by others, not merely subjective feelings of restlessness or being slowed down).”

This is a lesser-known symptom of depression, but can still happen. Depression can cause uncontrollable movement (shaking) in the extremities. It can also produce lethargy. Sometimes these symptoms get written off or blamed on something like anxiety when really rooted in depression.

You need to be careful with this one because there are a host of medical issues related to uncontrollable movements. If this symptom is being considered, then you will need to consult a physician to be sure it is related to depression.

6. “Fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day.”

Depression often makes people feel tired. Sometimes this is caused by insomnia, but other times depression can make a fully rested person feel fatigued. Even though they get adequate sleep, they still may complain of being tired and regularly take naps. The sense of being tired is rarely related to hard work but follows them through their day.

Unfortunately, this symptom can lead to and compound on isolation because you need to be alone to sleep. But no matter how much you sleep you still feel tired and avoid social situations because of a “lack of rest.”

7. “Feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt (which may be delusional) nearly every day (not merely self-reproach or guilt about being sick).”

Depression often affects self-esteem. The issues can be rooted in negative experiences from their past or relationships with family members. Low self-esteem can be further caused by present negative circumstances. When guilt is involved, it is often excessive, not fully accurate, and feels insurmountable.

Despite being gifted and talented, a depressed person regularly feels like a failure and doesn’t believe they have a lot of self-worth. These feelings usually bleed over into other relationships because they don’t feel lovable.

These beliefs can be delusional, but most often are still somewhat grounded in reality. Only extreme cases will become entirely delusional. More often these thoughts of low self-esteem are just exaggerated views of reality. If true delusional thinking is involved, then the situation is serious and will require a professional.

8. “Diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness, nearly every day (either by subjective account or as observed by others).”

Usually, this symptom stands out. Someone who thinks decisively and clearly will likely notice unclear and muddled thinking. The lack of focus may get worse as the depression further develops. Loved ones and friends will likely notice the change and even become exasperated by their seeming inability to make decisions or think clearly.

This can put pressure on important relationships. For example, the person dealing with depression may ask for their partner or close friends to make their decisions for them. The lack of focus and decisiveness may not be constant but will be present on most days.

9. “Recurrent thoughts of death (not just fear of dying), recurrent suicidal ideation without a specific plan, or a suicide attempt or a specific plan for committing suicide.”

Not all people who are experiencing depression will have suicidal thoughts. You can feel worthless and like a failure and not think about ending your life. Depression can also lead to suicidal fantasies, without ever actually considering carrying out the plan.

It can be hard to admit suicidal thoughts, even in the beginning stages. Suicidal ideation is a common symptom of (MDD) and may affect many people from all backgrounds. What many people don’t realize is that people wrestling with suicidal notions may need to admit and talk about their thoughts to feel better.

Expressing these thoughts and emotions are important, and you should not ignore comments like, “if I was gone, no one would miss me.” You need to create a safe place for the person to fully express what they are feeling.

If you find someone who is wrestling with suicidal thoughts, consider these steps. Step one, don’t let anyone ever swear you to keep a secret about their thoughts. Be honest that you want to help, but will also tell the necessary authorities. Step two, ask them if they have developed a plan and could follow through with it.

If they say yes, then you need to consult crisis professionals. Even trained counselors contact professionals at this point. Step three, if there is no help available, then contact the police or some sort of crisis agency where you live. Do not try to deal with the situation by yourself. Getting assistance could save a life.

Getting Help for Depression

Do you relate to these symptoms? It’s not uncommon to connect with a few, but if you connect to more than five, then you may be struggling with a Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Or maybe you know someone who seems to be dealing with these symptoms? Remember, this article can’t diagnose anyone, but it can provide you with more information to help you decide whether you need more help.

Even if you only connect with two or three depression symptoms, you may still want to get evaluated, especially if you are concerned. A lot of people deal with depression on their own because they remain undiagnosed, which is unfortunate because there are therapies and medication to treat depression.

If you feeling like you are dealing with depression, don’t wait any longer. God can bring professionals to walk with you through the dark days. We would be honored to meet with you and discuss your story. Call today to start breaking free from depression!