Am I Depressed? Know the Signs and Symptoms of Depression
The biggest question people want to be answered before going to see a psychiatrist is: Am I depressed? While no one wants to go through the hassle of making a doctor’s appointment for no reason, it’s always best to ask a mental health professional the answer to that question.
However, to help you determine if it’s time to seek help, The Washington Post recently posted a great article that shares How to know if it’s depression or just ‘normal’ sadness. The biggest takeaway is that sadness is usually linked to a specific event like the loss of a loved one, while depression is typically a consistent negative feeling about one’s self such as feeling like a burden to your friends and family.
Here is a list of depression symptoms to watch for:
- Change in appetite – this may be a loss or increase in your appetite
- Sleeplessness
- Feeling anxious
- Feeling guilty
- Suicidal thoughts
- Feeling angry or irritable over small things
- Tiredness
- Trouble concentrating
- Difficulty remembering past events
- Loss of interest in hobbies or activities
Everyday Sadness Versus Sadness Every Day
While everyone may experience at least some of these symptoms on occasion, individuals with depression often experience multiple, or even all, of these symptoms on a daily basis.
That brings up an important distinction to be made about the article and the author’s use of the phrases ‘everyday sadness and normal sadness’, which could easily be confused with ‘sadness every day.’ Clearly, the author’s intent is to spell out that depression is different from occasional and temporary sadness, so you shouldn’t shrug it off.
Depression typically comes in waves that happen multiple times throughout one’s life. Time doesn’t always heal. So even if the problem seems like something you just need to power through … don’t go it alone.
The critical message here is to get professional advice starting with your primary care doctor, or give us a call: 605-348-8000. If you think you might need to seek help, chances are it would be beneficial for you to see a mental health professional.
Stephen Manlove, MD is one of the most entrepreneurial psychiatrists in the upper Midwest. Dr. Manlove graduated from the University of Minnesota Medical School and completed residencies in Psychiatry and Internal Medicine through the University of Virginia Medical School. He holds multiple board certifications in psychiatry/neurology, internal medicine and forensic psychiatry. This deep understanding of medicine gives him a unique ability to practice truly holistic psychiatry—fusing lifestyle changes and brain health best practices with genetic testing and a detailed laboratory workup to develop a personalized plan for each patient. As an early adopter of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and ketamine/Spravato, he and the Manlove Brain + Body team have helped thousands of patients suffering from treatment resistant depression, anxiety and PTSD.
