Mental Health

Overview

Do you feel like you’re in a rut and you just can’t get out?

Everyone feels sad at times, but those feelings typically will pass within a few days. If you can’t seem to rally, and it’s starting to interfere with your daily life, it could be a sign of depression.

Depressive disorder can affect anyone. It may be marked by feelings of intense sadness or hopelessness, and some find that they lose interest or pleasure in activities that they used to enjoy. People with depression can experience feelings of guilt, unworthiness, or low self-esteem, and they may start avoiding being around people.

Depression is a common but serious disorder — one that typically requires some treatment to manage. The good news is that even the most severe cases of depression are treatable.

The signs and symptoms of depression may be hard to notice at first, so it’s important to be aware of your thoughts, moods, and behaviors and note if they start to change.

Common signs of depression may include:

• Feeling sad or hopeless
• Losing interest in or not getting pleasure from most of your daily activities
• Gaining or losing weight
• Sleeping too much or not enough almost every day
• Feeling tired or as if you have no energy almost every day
• Eating more or less than usual almost every day

If you are frequently experiencing one or more of these symptoms (for example, almost every day for at least a few weeks), you may be depressed.