Sadness is only a small part of depression. Some people with
depression may not feel sadness at all. Depression has many other
symptoms, including physical ones. If you have been experiencing any of
the following signs and symptoms for at least 2 weeks, you may be
suffering from depression:
• Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" mood
• Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism
• Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness
• Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities
• Decreased energy, fatigue, being "slowed down"
• Difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions
• Difficulty sleeping, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping
• Thoughts of death or suicide, suicide attempts
• Restlessness, irritability
• Persistent physical symptoms
• continuous low mood or sadness
• feeling hopeless and helpless
• having low self-esteem
• feeling tearful
• feeling irritable and intolerant of others
• having no motivation or interest in things
• finding it difficult to make decisions
• not getting any enjoyment out of life
• feeling anxious or worried
• having suicidal thoughts or thoughts of harming yourself
• moving or speaking more slowly than usual
• changes in appetite or weight (usually decreased, but sometimes increased)
• constipation
• unexplained aches and pains
• lack of energy
• low sex drive (loss of libido)
• changes to your menstrual cycle
• disturbed sleep - for example, finding it difficult to fall asleep at night or waking up very early in the morning
• Unexplained aches and pains. An increase in physical complaints such as headaches, back pain, aching muscles, and stomach pain.
Read More About Causes of Depression briefly
References:
- https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/depression-what-you-need-to-know-12-2015/depression-what-you-need-to-know-pdf_151827.pdf.
- http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Depression/Pages/Symptoms.aspx.
- http://www.helpguide.org/articles/depression/depression-signs-and-symptoms.htm