Symptoms of Depression

Depression isn't just about feeling sad. It can cause a wide range of different symptoms. I've posted about many of them on Mental Health @ Home; these are some of the highlights:

Cognition: Depression can affect concentration, memory, and executive functioning.

• Mashed potato brains

• Rumination

• The THINC-it test : a research tool for measuring cognitive symptoms of depression

Emotions: Even when looking specifically at emotions, depression isn't just about sadness.

• ↓ positive & ↑ negative affect: decreased positive feelings (anhedonia) and increased negative feelings

• Anhedonia and motivation

• Depression without depressed mood

• Guilt

• Hopelessness

• Irritability

Fatigue: When taking a shower is like climbing a mountain

Isolation: Depression can make social interaction very difficult.

• Becoming a hermit

• I admit it – I’m a ghoster

Movement:

• Decreased energy, psychomotor retardation and leaden paralysis

• Psychomotor retardation and speech impairment

Sleep: Depression can involve either insomnia or sleeping excessively. Insomnia is more common, but in atypical depression, people are likely to experience hypersomnia.

Suicidality: Suicidal ideation (thinking) can be passive (feeling like you'd be better off dead) or active (thinking about actually ending your life). The Straight Talk on Suicide page has more information on this topic, including crisis resources.