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Main > Specialty Areas > Psychiatry >
Symptoms of Depression
Generally, people don't experiences the same set symptoms of depression nor do they experience them at the same severity. The three main depressive disorders are: major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder (chronic, less severe depression), and bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness: periods of depression cycle with periods of mania, which may include symptoms of excessive energy, abnormally elevated mood, unusual irritability, decreased need for sleep, increased talking, racing thoughts, increased sexual desire, grandiose ideas and activities, poor judgment, and inappropriate social behavior). Not everyone with a depressive disorder experiences every symptom. The number and severity of symptoms may vary among individuals and also over time.
Symptoms of depression include:
Sleeping too much or too little
Frequent waking in the middle of the night
Eating too much or too little
Inability to function at work or school
Headaches, digestive disorders, nausea with no other cause
Excessive crying
Thoughts of death or suicide
Lack of energy
Slowed thinking
Difficulty in concentrating, remembering, making decisions
Loss of interest in daily activities
Loss of sex drive
Persistent feelings of sadness, anxiety and hopelessness
Restlessness, agitation and irritability
Feelings of inappropriate guilt or worthlessness
Persistent physical symptoms, such as headaches, digestive disorders, and chronic pain, which do not respond to routine treatment may also be psychosomatic manifestations of depression.
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