What is Depression?
Some of the symptoms of major depressions are:
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Depressed mood or an inability to feel pleasure from things that would normally bring pleasure (anhedonia) |
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Overwhelming feelings of sadness, worthlessness and hopelessness |
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The inability to feel emotion, the feeling of 'emptiness' |
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Lack of motivation to carry out everyday tasks such as getting washed and eating |
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Feelings of guilt and blame |
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Changes in appetite, either increased or decreased |
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Changes in sleep pattern such as difficulty getting off to sleep, waking up early, or sleeping more than usual |
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Anxiety |
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Isolation from family and friends |
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Recurrent thoughts of death, suicidal ideation |
This list is not exhaustive, people may find themselves crying more than usual, feeling irritable or angry and may suffer from physical symptoms such as headaches and general aches and pains. Sometimes with severe depression a person may experience psychotic symptoms, such as delusions and hallucinations.
Often the symptoms are so severe and constant that is it impossible for a person to continue functioning in everyday life, such as employment, paying bills, caring for themselves and family. A person suffering with depression may feel that life is not worth living and may attempt or commit suicide.
"Unfortunately, the depressive element is the overriding symptom of my bipolar. Even when what I would describe as �mildly depressed� I suffer suicidal ideation, and have a strong tendency to isolate myself. Although I am working on improving my ability to spot my slide into worsening depression, this is a real weakness, and when it is suggested to me that I am getting depressed, I become paranoid. Unfortunately, when depressed, my intake of alcohol increases, as does my suicidal ideation. My sleep pattern is disturbed, which worsens the depression, and I may either stop eating or binge eat. I become very disconnected from people, and stop having any contact beyond that which is absolutely necessary. My personal hygiene suffers, and although my clothes may be clean and I may be wearing make-up, I may not have bathed for several weeks, as it is just too much effort. Throughout this time, I have managed to continue working, but my working relationships have suffered, as any criticism has fuelled my paranoia, as I have become convinced that colleagues are determined to undermine me in my role and force me to leave. My memory and concentration become increasingly poor, which means my work suffers, which in turn means I am liable to be seen as failing in my duties, and so the paranoid cycle continues to build. At home I stop opening post, and answering the phone because I can�t face the potential stress. I cry for the slightest reason or no reason at all. I can�t face confrontation, and have walked out of meetings without explanation. I will be physically sick when stressed, shaking on the way to work, and self-harming. I can�t face travelling on public transport, crowds of people, meeting new people. Ultimately, it will get to the stage where I can�t leave the house, and will sit at the top of the stairs considering throwing myself down them to avoid whatever it is that I have to leave the house for. By this point, again I am barely able to form coherent sentences, I can�t explain, or even try to put into words how I am feeling to another human being. I feel totally isolated by the depression, as if it has stolen my ability to make any contact with the outside world."
