Severe Depression: How Do I Know If I Am Severely Depressed?

Curiously easily diagnosable and treatable medical problem, depression affects over twenty million American adults each year. Although everybody has experienced sadness and feelings of depression, individuals that are suffering from true depression have many frequent and recurring long-term symptoms, often making them view life as something not worth living.

How do you know if you are severely depressed or have a real depression problem? Here are more severe depression symptoms. These symptoms differ in each person, although if these occur to you, it might be wise to consult a physician. 

• Anger, irritability, anxiety, concern, agitation 
• Sadness that is prolonged 
• Unexplained crying spells 
• Social withdrawal 
• Energy loss 
• Significant and abrupt changes in sleep patterns and appetite 
• Pessimism, indifference 
• Persistent lethargy 
• Guilt feelings and unexplained sense of worthlessness 
• Trouble concentrating and indecisiveness 
• Incapacity in taking pleasure in interests you formerly enjoy 
• Extreme fatigue when you have not done much 
• Inexplicable pains and aches 
• Recurring and frequent thoughts of suicide or death 

If you are experiencing no less than five of the symptoms named above and have begun to interfere with family activities or work for longer than a week, then you should ask your physician for a thorough checkup.  This would almost certainly consist of having a comprehensive physical test (although some symptoms may be caused by other health problems that you already have) and a detailed clinical history.  Make sure you are honest and open on what and how you are feeling. 

Don't even think of diagnosing yourself.  Similarly, you can't rely on a friend or a member of your family for diagnosis.  Only a physician that is properly trained to check illnesses can completely determine if you are having a depression episode. 

If you would like, you can try self evaluation tests for depression available on the Internet that could help you gauge the symptoms that you have, or as a minimum, can prepare you for your next visit with your doctor.  Think of these exams as a way of communicating your symptoms better to a healthcare professional when you go in for a visit.  Obviously, online tests prove no match to an actual consultation. 

For others, depression is recurrent, which basically means that they experience depressive episodes often - once or twice in a month, no less than once a year, or a lot of times throughout their lifetimes. 

Do not feel embarrassed, shy, or ashamed of your depression problem.  People of different ages, races, ethnic groups, and social classes get this problem.  Even though depression can happen at any given age, depression usually develops in individuals whose ages lie between 25 and 44.  If you have a depression problem, you're not alone.  Each day, there are more than twenty million American adults that are experiencing depression problems. 

Try to be persistent and patient and you will find the process that is best for you in determining depression.