Signs and Symptoms of Depression & What to Look For

Depression
Written By Melissa Wesner
 
 

Depression is a mood disorder that includes sadness, feelings of emptiness, irritability, and physical and cognitive changes. These symptoms can be distressing and disrupt your day-to-day life. These symptoms can also vary in severity and intensity. Depression sometimes creates difficulty getting out of bed, consistent crying, severe fatigue, and complete social withdrawal.

Depression can also be much milder than this and therefore have potential to be missed. The portrayal of depression in media and advertisements can lead individuals to think they may not be struggling with it because their experience doesn’t quite match the way depression is often portrayed. Here are the symptoms of depression that can be both severe and subtle.

Symptoms of Depression

  • feelings of sadness, emptiness, and hopelessness

  • decreased interest or pleasure in activities you used to enjoy

  • significant changes to weight, such as weight gain or weight loss, without intention to do so

  • changes in sleep as either an increased or decreased amount of sleep

  • fatigue or loss of energy

  • feelings of guilt, even though you haven’t done anything wrong

  • decreased self-esteem

  • increased irritability or anger

  • tearfulness

  • social withdrawal or avoidance

  • changes in appetite as either an increased or decreased appetite

  • a slowing in physical movements, speech, and thinking

  • feelings of worthlessness

  • decreased ability to think, concentrate, or make decisions

  • increased feelings of self-criticalness, feelings of failure, and negative views and thoughts related to the future

  • suicidal thoughts and/or recurring thoughts of death

An individual with their hands over their face as they sit on the floor in front of well-lit windows. LifeSpring’s Baltimore therapists offer depression treatment to address signs of depression and suicide. If you are experiencing feelings of low sel

If you are experiencing these symptoms for most days out of the week and think they could be disrupting how you engage in your work life, social life, or other important areas of functioning then you may be experiencing some symptoms of depression. Depression is more than occasional feelings of sadness due to situations in life. It is persistent and something you may feel like you just can’t shake. Depression can make it difficult to get through day-to-day responsibilities and experiences. 

It is also important to remember that depression can look different for everyone. Some people may be able to cover it up a little more than others, so it may be hard to notice in friends or family. It may also be challenging to notice for yourself especially if the image you have of depression is the way it looks on TV or in commercials. If you are experiencing some of these symptoms listed above it's important to reach out to those around you and to seek treatment. Depression can be treated and there is a hopeful outcome for it, but if ignored it runs the risk of becoming a severe and disrupting disorder.

Crisis resources that we recommend for people in the Greater Baltimore area

The National Suicide Prevention LifeLine — 988

Baltimore City Crisis Response — 410-433-5175

Sante Group — 410-931-2214

Sheppard Pratt’s Crisis Walk-In Clinic



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Interested in Counseling for Symptoms of Depression?

If you’re a Marylander who knows that counseling is the direction you need to take, the therapists at LifeSpring Counseling Services are here to help. We offer online counseling services for mindfulness, depression, anxiety, trauma, and grief and loss. We also offer Brainspotting as a specialized service, and Brainspotting can be done online, too!

Here’s how you can get started! Online counseling for depression isn’t the only service offered at our Maryland office

The counselors and social workers at our Maryland office also offer counseling services for trauma, grief and loss, boundary setting, communication skills, and difficult life transitions. We also offer specialized counseling services including Brainspotting and spiritually-integrated counseling. Because we are located next to several local universities, we also work with college students and international students.

 
 
 

Written by: Lindsay Fortier, LGPC

Photo Credit: Liza Summer and SHVETS Production
Date of Download: 8/6/2021

Reference

Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders DSM-5. (2013). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Association.

Melissa Wesner
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