Major Depressive Disorder Symptoms

Major depressive disorder is a serious mental health concern. It isn't merely being sad or depressed because your team lost the big game or you had a lousy day at work. Major depressive disorder is true clinical depression, a mood disorder that can last for weeks or months and, if there is no intervention, can end in suicide.

Major depression alters the world around the depressed person. It distorts it and re-interprets everything in a negative manner. It becomes impossible to imagine even the smallest or simplest problems having any sort of possible conclusions.

Sometimes, major depressive disorder runs in families. But it also may be associated with a chemical imbalance in the brain. Alcohol and drug abuse do not help the situation, though many depressed people try to self-medicate.

Major Depressive Disorder Symptoms

Some of the signs and symptoms of major depressive disorder are listed below, courtesy of the US National Library of Medicine (this list is not complete):

• Agitation, restlessness, and irritability
• Becoming withdrawn or isolated
• Difficulty concentrating
• Dramatic change in appetite, often with weight gain or loss
• Trouble sleeping or too much sleep
• Fatigue and lack of energy
• Thoughts of death or suicide
• Feelings of worthlessness, self-hate, and guilt
• Feelings of hopelessness and helplessness
• Loss of interest or pleasure in activities that were once enjoyed

Sometimes people express their depression in unexpected ways, such as through irritability, anger, or discouragement. Depression does not always appear the way we expect it to appear.

Regardless of why one is experiencing major depressive disorder, it is extremely important to seek help from friends and family and ultimately to seek treatment from a qualified health professional.