According to The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, the main symptom of depression is a sad, despairing mood that:
is present most days and lasts most of the day
- lasts for more than two weeks
- impairs the person’s performance at work, at school or in social relationships.
Other symptoms of depression include:
- changes in appetite and weight
- sleep problems
- loss of interest in work, hobbies, people or sex
- withdrawal from family members and friends
- feeling useless, hopeless, excessively guilty, pessimistic or having low self-esteem
agitation or feeling slowed down
- irritability
- fatigue
- trouble concentrating, remembering or making decisions
- crying easily, or feeling like crying but being not able to
- thoughts of suicide (which should always be taken seriously)
- a loss of touch with reality, hearing voices (hallucinations) or having strange ideas (delusions).
Are depression and sadness the same thing? Watch below..
Wondering if you may have depression? Take this quiz below called the PHQ-9 from CAMH.
Depression can come as part of many other mental health disorders, including obsessive compulsive disorder, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and as a symptom of organic disorders including hypothyroidism, anemia, or as a result of misuse of substances including alcohol and marijuana. It is so important that you bring any symptoms you may be experiencing to a liscenced health professional to get the right diagnosis and discuss treatment that is individualized.
Dr. Lorraine Sharp 