What Are the Common Signs and Symptoms of Depression?

Everyone feels down from time to time. But sometimes those feelings can be more than just a case of the “blues.” Depression is a mental health disorder. It involves sadness that doesn’t go away — despite your best efforts to cope. 

Some depression symptoms include loss of interest in things you used to enjoy, changes in your appetite or sleep, and thoughts of self-harm. Thankfully, depression is a treatable condition, and there are several different options for treatment. 

What is depression?

Depression is a type of mood disorder that affects your thoughts, feelings, and behavior. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) describes all of the different mental health conditions. According to the DSM, there are several different types of depression:

• Major depressive disorder (MDD): MDD involves feelings of sadness that last for over 2 weeks. You can experience mild, moderate, or severe forms of MDD.

• Persistent depressive disorder: This is chronic depression that lasts for at least 2 years. 

• Postpartum or perinatal depression: This is a type of depression that begins after you give birth. 

• Premenstrual dysphoric disorder: This can sometimes include signs of depression in the week prior to menstruation. 

• Seasonal affective disorder (SAD): SAD occurs in people who experience a depressed mood in the winter months. 

• Atypical depression: This includes symptoms like increased appetite, weight gain, excessive sleep, heaviness in the limbs, and sensitivity to rejection from others.

In 2020, over 8% of U.S. adults experienced a major depressive episode. Depression affects people of all ages, genders, and races. But some groups have higher rates of depression than others. For example, depression is more common among females, people between the ages of 18 and 25, and people who identify as biracial.

Mental and physical symptoms of depression

Major depression has nine symptoms. These symptoms can affect how you think, feel, and act. Let’s take a closer look. 

1. Low mood

This means feeling sad, hopeless, or empty — nearly all day, every day. This might be a feeling that you’ve noticed yourself. Or it might be something your friends and family have picked up on. Either way, it means that you feel down most of the time. Keep in mind: In children and teenagers, low mood sometimes shows up as irritability. 

2. Loss of pleasure in life

This means feeling less interested — or not interested — in your daily activities. It could also mean that activities you usually enjoy seem pointless, boring, or like a waste of time. Just like low mood, this symptom stays with you most of the time, almost every day. 

3. Weight or appetite changes

Depression can cause a decrease or increase in your appetite. This might mean that you’re less interested in eating. Or you might find that you’re hungry all the time. People with depression also sometimes gain weight or lose weight without dieting. 

4. Sleep changes

Sleep problems are another symptom of depression. This might mean you have trouble sleeping at night (insomnia), or you wake up earlier in the morning than you’d like. Or you might find that you’re sleeping too much at night and taking lots of naps during the day. 

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5. Physical restlessness or slowness

Depression can make you feel physically restless, like it’s hard for you to sit still. It can also make you feel heavy and weighed down, like your body is filled with sand. You might also find that you speak more slowly than usual. Either way, these changes are big enough that other people notice. 

6. Fatigue or low energy

This means that you’re low on physical energy — like your gas tank is always running empty. Even basic activities seem like a challenge. 

7. Feelings of worthlessness or guilt

Depression can make you feel bad about yourself as a person, such as feeling like you’re a failure. It can also make you feel guilty about your actions, behavior, and relationships. It’s more than just being hard on yourself — these feelings make you question your worth as a human being. Some thoughts a person with depression might include:

• I’m such a loser

• I always screw everything up

• My family would be better off without me

• There’s no way things will get better

8. Thinking problems

When you have depression, it can be hard to think or concentrate. This can make it difficult to pay attention at work or school, or it can even make it hard to relax with a book or movie. Some people also have trouble making decisions or remembering things. 

9. Thoughts about death or suicide

Depression can cause people to think about death or make plans to end their own life. These thoughts come back again and again, and they’re difficult to control. 

If you’re having thoughts of self-harm or suicide, you should seek professional help right away, or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

10. Aches and pains

People with depression are more likely to report chronic aches and pains. Unfortunately, the diagnosis of depression may be delayed because of the search for the cause of the pain. On the flipside, people with chronic pain are at increased risk of developing depression.

11. Decreased sexual desire

Decreased sexual desire (libido) affects people with depression at a much higher rate than those without depression. And many medications to treat depression can decrease libido further. It’s important to talk to a healthcare professional about how your depression and medical therapy are affecting your sex drive. 

Quiz: Am I depressed?

How can you tell if you have depression?

Depression affects people in different ways. In general, if you feel sad more often than not for over 2 weeks, then you may have some form of depression. To be diagnosed with major depression, you also need to have at least five of the nine symptoms listed above — and at least one symptom needs to be low mood or loss of pleasure. 

You may notice that little excites you and that you don’t feel motivated to do much. Eventually, your mood can affect your ability to keep up at home, work, and school. Friends and family may notice your depression. And, in some cases, your relationships might suffer. 

Only a professional can determine if you have depression. If you think you might have depression, consider speaking with your primary care provider or another mental health professional. A healthcare professional can help figure out whether you have depression or another mental or physical illness. They can also help sort out whether your symptoms are caused by grief or burnout.

Do depression symptoms vary by age and gender?

While depression is similar across age groups and genders, there are some differences.

When it comes to age, some differences include:

• Depression is more common among younger adults than those over age 65.

• Older adults with physical health issues are less likely to experience depression than younger adults with physical health problems.

• Older adults are less likely to get treatment for their depression than younger adults.

Depression in women vs men

Both men and women suffer from depression. But depression can look different in men and women. When it comes to gender, there are some notable differences that medical professionals look out for. Let’s take a look at some of the key differences.

Signs of depression in women

Depression is almost twice as common in women than in men. Symptoms of depression in women are more likely to include: 

• More severe symptoms of depression

• Past suicide attempts

• Appetite and weight changes, fatigue, physical complaints

• Anxiety and eating disorders at the same time as depression

Signs of depression in men

While men are less likely to be diagnosed with depression, there are characteristics indicating that depression in men is just as serious as it is in women. Some of these important differences include:

• Men are more likely to use alcohol or drugs when they’re experiencing depression.

• Men have more episodes of depression than women.

• Men are more likely to die from suicide than women.

When should you seek help for symptoms of depression?

If you suspect that you might have depression, it’s a good idea to make an appointment with a healthcare professional, psychiatrist, or therapist. They’ll be able to evaluate you and figure out whether you have depression, how severe it is, and what type of treatment is necessary. And if you’re already taking medication for depression, they can also help figure out if it’s working — or whether you need to make a change. 

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Written by:

Emily Guarnotta, PsyD

Emily Guarnotta, PsyD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and certified perinatal mental health professional with over 10 years of clinical experience.

Edited by:

Karla Robinson, MD

Karla Robinson, MD, is a medical editor for GoodRx. She is a licensed, board-certified family physician with almost 20 years of experience in health through varied clinical, administrative, and educational roles.

Reviewed by:

Frank Schwalbe, MD

Frank Schwalbe, MD, is an assistant professor of anesthesiology at the Yale School of Medicine. He has practiced anesthesiology for 30 years.

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