An important part of taking care of yourself and your family is learning to recognize early signs of depression so you can take steps to prevent symptoms from turning into larger problems. There are 9 symptoms of depression . There are also additional “warning signs” that someone might be experiencing difficulties that could lead to or be a sign of underlying depression:
| Symptoms of Depression | Additional Warning Signs |
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• Persistent sadness
• Loss of interest or pleasure in activities
• Sleeping more or less than usual
• Eating more or less than usual or weight gain or loss
• Speaking or moving much more slowly than usual or agitation
• Fatigue
• Difficulty concentrating and/or making decisions
• Feelings of worthlessness and/or excessive guilt
• Thoughts of death or suicide
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• Social isolation
• Increases in irritability
• Increases in anxiety
• Increases in aches, pains, and other physical problems
• Increases in drug or alcohol use
• Reckless behavior (irresponsible driving, gambling, dangerous activities, etc.)
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It is also important to ask yourself or a loved one, “Are you experiencing an unusual amount of distress? Here are some ways to know the difference between Typical Distress and Distress That Requires Professional Help:
| Typical Distress | Distress That Requires Professional Help |
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Decreases after a few hours or days
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Distress that lasts for weeks, months or even years |
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Has a clear cause
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No clear cause |
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Intensity of the distress is expected based on the cause
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Intensity of the distress is higher than expected based on the cause |
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Improves when something good happens
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Does not improve when something good happens |
