signs of depression

For more information about: signs of depression visit the depression site DepressionLearning.com today.

Q: Is there a way with medical technology to scan the brain for signs of depression?
For example, how are low levels of serotonin physically measured in the brain? cite sources plz, thanks!

A: Serotonin levels cant be measured in the brain while you are alive. After death the brain can be dissected and the serotonin level can be measured from a tissue sample from it. It cant be measured on a scan adn there is no brain scan to diagnose depression.

Q: What are the signs of Depression?
I would like to know because I think I may have depression, but I would like to know some of the signs or symptoms please.

A: Rate how much you have felt the following symptoms in the past week on a scale from 0-4
0-Not at all
1-Somewhat
2-Moderately
3-A lot
4-Extremely

1. Feeling sad or down in the dumps
2. feeling unhappy or blue
3. crying spells or tearfulness
4. feeling discouraged
5. feeling hopeless
6. low self-esteem
7. feeling worthless or inadequate
8. guilt or shame
9. criticizing yourself or blaming yourself
10. difficulty making decisions
11. lost of interest in family, friends, or colleagues
12. loneliness
13. spending less time with family or friends
14. loss of motivation
15. loss of interest in work or other activities
16. Avoiding work and other activities
17. Loss of pleasure or satisfaction in life
18. Feeling tired
19. difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much
20. decreased or increased appetite
21. loss of interest in sex
22. worrying about ur health
23. any suicidal thoughts****
24. would you like to end ur life****
25. plan for harming urself****

****Anybody with suicidal urges should seek immediate help from a mental health professional! ****

Add up your points and use the score scale

Score scale
0-5: no depression
6-10: normal but unhappy
11-25: mild depression
26-50: moderate depression
51-75: severe depression
76-100: extreme depression

If you consistently score more than 10 from week to week, you may benefit from professional treatment.

—————————————————————–

Q: What are the signs of depression in an adult male? Anything specifically different from a female?

A: Everyone will present a little differently and there are those who believe that men and women may present differently. I am a practical person so I have devised a series of 6 questions. If a person answers ‘yes’ to at least 4 of the 6 I am 85% certain that they feel and function better on what is typically called an ‘antidepressant’. 1 Has there been a change in sleep habits and rest? 2 Has there been a change in appetitte? 3 Has there been a change in energy level? 4 Has there been a change in mood? 5 Has there been a change in your interest in activities? 6 Has there been a change in your ability to think clearly? I hope that you are asking this as a matter of interest and that you do not have ‘depression’. For those who do suffer with ‘depression’ there are many affordable and effective medications with a low incidence of side effects. As everyone is different and unique in how they express a disorder and in their response to treatment when in doubt ask you physician.

Q: What are the signs of depression? What are some treatments?
Just a question.

A: such a long opened ended question to answer, with many different outcomes…….

briefly depression, broadly do not want to get up in the morning, hates life, hates people, can’t sleep, suicidal thoughts.get the picture??

treatment varies, I’m on prosac but many different drugs to treat depending on your condition….

Q: what are common signs of depression?
I believe that I am depressed. I cry almost everyday over stupid stuff. I feel worthless and sometimes can’t stop crying. Is there anyway without going to a doctor that i can truly find out if I’m depressed?
also i am not a teenage girl I am 20 gone through puberty long time ago. and i have gained 30 lbs in the past 4 months.

A: Symptoms
According to the DSM-IV-TR criteria for diagnosing a major depressive disorder (cautionary statement) one of the following two elements must be present for a period of at least two weeks:

Depressed mood, or
Loss of interest or pleasure in nearly all activities.
It is sufficient to have either of these symptoms in conjunction with five of a list of other symptoms over a two-week period. These include:

Feelings of overwhelming sadness or fear or the seeming inability to feel emotion (emptiness).
A decrease in the amount of interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities of the day, nearly every day.
Changing appetite and marked weight gain or loss.
Disturbed sleep patterns, such as insomnia, loss of REM sleep, or excessive sleep (Hypersomnia).
Psychomotor agitation or retardation nearly everyday.
Fatigue, mental or physical, also loss of energy.
Feelings of guilt, helplessness, hopelessness, anxiety, or fear.
Trouble concentrating or making decisions or a generalized slowing and obtunding of cognition, including memory.
recurrent thoughts of death (not just fear of dying), recurrent suicidal ideation without a specific plan, or a suicide attempt or a specific plan for committing suicide.
Other symptoms sometimes reported but not usually taken into account in diagnosis include:

A decrease in self-esteem.
Inattention to personal hygiene.
Sensitivity to noise.
Physical aches and pains, and the belief these may be signs of serious illness.
Fear of ‘going mad’.
Change in perception of time.
Depression in children is not as obvious as it is in adults. Here are some symptoms that children might display:

Loss of appetite.
Irritability.
Sleep problems, such as recurrent nightmares.
Learning or memory problems where none existed before.
Significant behavioral changes; such as withdrawal, social isolation, and aggression.
An additional indicator could be the excessive use of drugs or alcohol. Depressed adolescents are at particular risk of further destructive behaviors, such as eating disorders and self-harm.

One of the most widely used instruments for measuring depression severity is the Beck Depression Inventory, a 21-question multiple choice survey.

It is hard for people who have not experienced clinical depression, either personally or by regular exposure to people suffering it, to understand its emotional impact and severity, interpreting it instead as being similar to “having the blues” or “feeling down.” As the list of symptoms above indicates, clinical depression is a serious, potentially lethal systemic disorder characterized by interlocking physical, affective, and cognitive symptoms that have consequences for function and survival well beyond sad or painful feelings.

Q: What are unusual signs of depression?
I sleep A LOT.
I bite my fingernails.
I pick at scabs.
I have strange eating habits… between eating a lot and not wanting to eat at all.
I don’t necessarily feel sad a lot but I feel like sometimes people can be depressed and not know.

A: You could have a mild depression and anxiety disorder. Changes in your eating habits and sleeping patterns are typical indicator of depression. The other could be caused by anxiety.
Learn proper sleep hygiene and eat as well as you can. It might change things. Keeping a journal might give you more insight into your life and it can monitor your mood.

Q: what are some common signs of depression?
also what ways could you go about treating depression and is it genetic?
and for prescriptions would i have to see a psychologist or regular doctor?

A: * Persistent sadness, pessimism
* Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness or hopelessness
* Loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities, including sex
* Difficulty concentrating and complaints of poor memory
* Worsening of co-existing chronic disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis or diabetes
* Insomnia or oversleeping
* Weight gain or loss
* Fatigue, lack of energy
* Anxiety, agitation, irritability
* Thoughts of suicide or death
* Slow speech; slow movements
* Headache, stomachache, and digestive problems

In children and adolescents:

* Insomnia, fatigue, headache, stomachache, dizziness
* Apathy, social withdrawal, weight loss
* Drug abuse or alcohol abuse, a drop in school performance, difficulty concentrating
* Isolation from family and friends
* For dysthymia (minor, but long-term depression), symptoms are less intense and fewer in number, but long-lasting.

Q: In the book speak what are the signs of depression from Melinda. Diff/Sim between Melinda and Heather. ?
What are the examples of imagry seen in quarter 2 of speak? Symbols seen in quarter 2 of speak? Any events that happend in quarter 2.

A: >.< honestly, just fucking read it. It's an awesome book anyway.

Q: What are all the signs of depression, please?
I was’nt sure wether to put this in womans health or general heath so…………………. yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Also is it also when you hate everything, everythign about you, about your life, abotu your schoolwork, etc.

A: Symptoms of Major Depression

Sleep disturbance (insomnia), sleeping too much
Crying
“Empty” feeling
Loss of interest in usually enjoyable activities
Difficulty in thinking clearly
Feelings of guilt or worthlessness
Loss of concentration
Lowered self-esteem
Not as talkative as usual
Excessive fatigue
Prolonged sadness
Loss of appetite
Socially withdrawn
Significant weight loss
Irritability
Persistent thoughts of death of suicide
Attempted suicide

Q: How do u know if u r depressed or showing signs of depression?

A: Some people can function fine while depressed but in their mind they are really, really bad off.

Some people cannot function at all while depressed in addition to being really bad off in their mind.

If you are sleeping way too much or way too little you might be depressed.

If you are eating way too much or way too little you might be depressed.

If you are going for days without bathing, shaving, combing your hair etc you might be depressed.

If you have no energy to do dishes, food shop, pay bills or even take out the garbage you might be depressed.

If you want to die you are depressed.

If you are living in your bed and it’s a chore to even get up and take a pee you are depressed.

I think all should start with your family doctor. Get an appointment and rule out anything physical as there are physical issues that can mimic or create depression. This is called secondary depression.

Your family doctor can refer you to a psychiatrist, psychologist, counselor, mental health center that takes your insurance and sometimes a direct referrel from your family doctor will get you in faster than a self referrel.

If you are having a rough time do anything for yourself that helps that is positive and good. Don’t do anything that is negative or bad such as drinking alcohol or taking dope.

If you need to sleep then sleep, if you need to have your place dark then keep it dark, if you need to watch tv all night and sleep all day then do so until you can talk to someone. Do what you need to do to keep yourself ok until you can start to deal with your depression.

But also try to make youself do things to the best of your ability such as taking a shower or a short walk. Don’t exactly push yourself real hard but make yourself do something.

Also close trusted family members and friends, clergy and others are good to talk to until you see your family doctor and/or a therapist.

Take Care

Q: what are some signs of depression and how can you help somebody with it without getting professional help?
my friend is always sad and like says she wants to kill herself so what should i do? she says she always feels sad and violated..

A: First of all, she needs professional help if she is suicidal. If you are that worried about her, then by all means tell her family. They NEED to know. If there is any chance that she will act on it, just think how awful you’ll feel if you don’t tell anyone now and she attempts or attempts and succeeds.
She is extremely depressed. She needs treatment now. Talking about suicide can escalate into becoming an attempt, which may be successful- and suicide is a very permanent solution to a set of temporary problems.
She needs antidepressant medication, some therapy, perhaps, if she is really constantly a danger to herself, a hospitalization til the danger is passed.

That is the best way to be her friend right now. Help her stay alive and get better.

I’m not sure of what to make of her statement that she feels “violated”, but that doesn’t sound good either. What she assualted or raped?

Try talking to the local suicide hotline- they can help you, too.

Q: what are early signs of depression and suicide?
i’m 14 so plz make it easy to understand. I want to knoe what the early signs are because I haven’t been feeling myself lately. Thanks

A: There are many symptoms of depression, like:

Loss of interest in activities you used to love

sleeping more or less than usual

increase or decrease in appetite

feelings of hopelessness

long-term bouts of sadness

trouble concentrating

feeling lethargic (lack of energy)

considering suicide

I mean you could get all or some of these signs, but these are common ones. There are more I’m sure.

I’ve been depressed on and off since I was thirteen. It’s a terrible way to spend your time.
When it comes to depression, don’t let yourself sink into it. Keep yourself above it. Whatever trouble you have, you can overcome it. You’re not alone even if you feel like it.
And suicide, it’s never the best option.

If you need to talk, message me. I’ll listen

Q: How can I help my pregnant friend who is showing signs of depression?
Ok, this is a long story and I will try to simplify it as well as I can. My friend, we’ll call her Jane, started the year off on a bad start. She was very sick, and as it turns out, had a brain tumor. It wasn’t malignant, thank goodness, and after having it removed, her health improved, though it was not as strong as before and she was still having various problems [i.e., back pains, blurred vision, dizzyness]. A little over a month later, she finds out she is pregnant. Her pregnancy has not been easy at all; she’s still experiencing side effects from the tumor, not to mention the first few months of pregnancy can be harsh on anyone… well now it turns out that her child will have down syndrome [after being able rule out Edwards Syndrome, which they thought it was at first].

Her boyfriend has a very busy lifestyle. He’s a performer, and his job causes him to travel a lot. They had only been dating a few months before she got pregnant. [hold on I'm going to add details...]
She now feels bad for “putting him in a corner” like this. She feels like she is dragging him down and that he regrets her and having this baby [they were given the option to terminate it for health reasons, but went ahead with it anyways]. She now wants to move away so that “when [they] break up his life and girlfriends won’t be shoved in her face all the time”. It troubles me that she is already predicting their break-up, and her general demeanor is scaring me. I’m fearful that she may develop post-partum depression after the baby is born, and, especially with a special needs child, that will not be good. I really don’t know what to say anymore, and what I can do for her. She’s a very stubborn person, and normally very strong, but this has almost broken her.

A: well for starters its good shes a got a friend like you. depression is quite normal in pregnancy what with the unexpected future and all. one of the best things is exercise it release endorphins which help combat depression, the problem is when your depressed its hard to get off the sofa! why not try taking her for a long walk (if shes not heavily pregnant and is up to it) and you can have a chat and get her to air her concerns, make sure shes taking a pregnancy supplement and eating a good diet all these things can help. if shes depressed the house is probably untidy so offer her a hand with the dishes or laundry. as an untidy house can make you feel depressed. she needs to forget her boyfriend, if things work then great if not well he was probably gonna leave anyway, that not to say let her give up on him either. let her know your there for her so if she does face a future on her own then she knows she has a good support network. encorage her to breastfeed this will strengthen the bond with her new baby and give her a sense of accomplishment, of course if she does suffer from post natal depression then breast feeding is pointless as she will need time to adjust and this may be detrimental to the relationship between mother and baby if she is not responsive to this. she may need to talk to a professional too, theres a lot going on with her at the moment and they can help her through it while you provide her with the support she clearly needs right now. my heart goes out to you both. i hope that helps

Q: What are the signs of depression ? what can i do get out of depression?
just the normal thing i use to do before are gettign very boring.. i dont chilling like with my friends a lot anymore..i dont like getting out much… i cant socialise a little… i get every negative… i never had a gf… i hv some skin problems which got my confidence really down.. hanging with friends gets very boring.;. Am i deppresed ? what is the cure or who should i see

A: I don`t think ur depressed u r just going through a phase of life.All u need to do is to Keep small targets/goals and work for them.Join some sports activity.Maintain pets ,plants aquarium.Above all have positive mental attitude.Good luck

Q: Why can’t other see the signs of DEPRESSION?
Has someone ever mistaken your depression for laziness…?

Parents are party responsible for their kids emotional well-being. What’s even worse are when the parents are causing the depression…

Why do you assume everyone has a doctor?
If you have a parent that notices their kid sleeps a lot and doesn’t seem to be the most emotional person, how can they blame it on laziness?

A: Depression causes you to become less motivated. Yes, If they don’t understand that been depress is a chemical imbalance which affects a person’s whole psyche and the people can’t function properly either physically or emotionally. Yes, they may think you are lazy.

Some people might say they are depressed when they are demotivated, tired or a little down, but the debilitating, day-to-day living with clinical depression it can be a nightmare.

Laziness is totally different to clinical depression, but yes it can be mistaken for the one who doesn’t understand the Definition of depression.

Good luck!

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