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Depression is one of the most common mental disorders. People who are depressed feel sad, worthless, empty, and hopeless. The good news is, most people get better and back to normal with treatment.
Treatment often consists of a combination of medication, counselling, and positive choices like eating well and exercising.
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SYMPTOMS |
5 or more of the following, for 2 weeks or more:
• Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" mood
• Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism, guilt, worthlessness
• Loss of interest or pleasure in usual hobbies and activities
• Decreased energy, fatigue, being "slowed down"
• Difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions
• Insomnia, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping
• Appetite and/or weight loss or overeating and weight gain
• Thoughts of death or suicide, suicide attempts
• Restlessness, irritability, hopelessness
• Persistent physical symptoms that don't respond to treatment, like headaches, digestive disorders, chronic pain
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DID YOU KNOW? |
There are several types of depression:
Major depression - Feeling strong depressive symptoms for 2 weeks or more.
Dysthymia - low mood almost daily over at least two years. The symptoms are not as severe as those for major depression.
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) – depressive symptoms occur during certain seasons – usually winter, two years in a row or more.
Post-partum depression – depressive symptoms appear within 4 months of having a baby.
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