what are common signs of depression?

Question

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.

Answer 1

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.

Answer 2

some common signs of depression are sleeping too much, not finding enjoyment in activities you did before, isolating yourself from loved ones,and I believe probably the crying thing too but funny now that I look at these symptoms they could also be something caused by a hormone imbalance as happen to most teen girls.... How old are you? Anyway try web Md it is straight forward and easy to understand.

Answer 3

You are describing some symptoms of depression. Sleep can be affected. Often early-morning wakening, where you're awake in the middle of the night ofr several hours. Ironically, sleeping TOO much is also a symptom. Weight loss can be a symptom. Lack of concentration and focus. Nor longer taking pleasure from things that used to give you pleasure. Avoiding friends and isolating yourself. All symptoms.

There are plenty of mental health clinics where you can be seen for free if you don't have insurance or much money. I encourage you to do so beofre it goes on too long.

Answer 4

If you go to http://www.realage.com they have a real depression quiz that is pretty informative. They also tell you all the signs of depression. Some of them are Sleeping too little or too much, can't get out of bed, lack of interest in things you used to like, no energy, crying bouts. There are many others but those are the most common.

Answer 5

are you thinking about suicide?

if you think you have depression, you should try to stop it before it comes to that. you shouldn't be feeling like you're worthless. do you laugh and smile as much as you used to?

i've heard there are good books 4 depressed ppl.

i wish u the best of luck---there have been way 2 many ppl in my family that have fallen into depression. my mom picked up yoga as a calming, soothing hobby. i think all of my mom's family and my dad's began taking antidepressants (and it really helped them). some of them bought pets as companions.

or do you think you could just be a little lovesick...are you lonely & single or have a bad boyfriend? thinking about the source of the pain can be agonizing but helpful. sometimes there are just sad phases of life & thinking 2 much about something that is really trivial makes it worse.

these are the regular signs of depression---
are you seperating yourself from others? are the things that normally make you happy just depressing you? do you have an increase or decrease in appetite? sleep problems? feelings of guilt? grouchiness?

again, best of luck...hopefully this is just a stage that will pass.

Answer 6

well what i did to find ou that i was depressed what i went to askjeeves.com it will let u no what the symptoms r and u will take a quiz and it will tell u what to do at the end if u need to c a doctor or stuff like that and tells u who to contact

Answer 7

Crying. Tired all the time. Cannot get interested in anything. I would see a counseller though because it is a very serious matter.

Answer 8

depending on age it could be a simple case of hormons but if it is deppersion one of the signs is mood swings and not wanting to do anything.never happy.feel like u just want to sleep or live in a dark room.i recomand going to see your family doctor and talking to him/her.

Answer 9

Yes, your doctor will have a list of questions he/she should ask to determine if you have depression.

PLEASE SEE YOUR DOCTOR!!

Depression CAN be treated, and in some cases, it can be cured!!
There's no reason to suffer even one more day with depression.
Left untreated it can get worse!

Answer 10

no but common symptoms are weight gain weight loss, unable to get out of bed, panic attacks, anger towards other people trust issues, etc.