by Lynda Mc Donald

Created on: July 29, 2009

Labelling someone as 'depressed' can be a difficult call to make. Everyone exhibits a different range of the symptoms associated with depression. Some sufferers only suffer the physical symptoms and do not complain about feeling 'down'.

One of the most common symptoms of depression is if the person is in a depressed mood for a considerable period of time (up to two weeks). Many people will admit to feeling sad for no apparent reason or to not feeling 'anything' or 'empty'. The majority of people suffering from depression will only confide these feelings to those who are especially close to them, and to everyone else they will seem agitated and angry a lot of the time.

Some people also experience obvious changes in weight, either gain or loss, without striving to accomplish it. They will either feel constantly hungry or find no pleasure in food at all.

It is also common to lose interest in usual hobbies and pastimes. Even if forced to partake in them, those suffering from depression will not experience much enjoyment through these. A lack of motivation towards everyday chores, as well as pastimes is also very common. A feeling of restlessness usually accompanies this. As well as lack of enjoyment, sufferers also frequently experience a lack of concentration; this will be very obvious in anyone who is studying.

An obvious change in sleep pattern is another indicator of depression. This can be either sleeping for inappropriate lengths of time or rarely sleeping at all. Both of this are commonly experienced with a constant sense of fatigue and lack of energy.

A lot of people who suffer from depression also find themselves becoming increasingly worried or agitated about things they have no control over. Sometimes this is the cause of their difficulty sleeping.

The most obvious indication of depression is thoughts of self-harm or suicide. If you are, or know of someone experiencing these thoughts, please contact your GP, a councillor, or at the very least a friend or family member that you feel you can trust.

If someone is only experiencing any of these symptoms for under a week, their depression is considered to be mild; this means that it is something everyone feels at some stage. If someone is experiencing some or all of these symptoms for two weeks or more it is greatly advised they they seek help.

If you think you or a friend/family member are/is depressed I cannot stress how important it is that you contact someone you tell you can trust immediately and try to get as much help possible.

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