The most noticeable symptoms of depression
Have you felt sadder or duller than usual for a long time? Do you feel that this sadness is excessive or disproportionate? Or that it lasts too long? Do you also feel apathy, fatigue or physical symptoms such as sleep disturbances?
If you are seriously considering the possibility of suffering from depression and would like to inquire a little more into the matter, we propose a series of questions that can help you to know whether or not there is a possibility that you suffer from this disorder.
However, even if we ask you a series of questions, remember that the diagnosis should always be made by a professional. Therefore, beyond answering them and, above all, if you answer “YES” to most of these questions (or to a minimum of 5 of them), we encourage you to seek professional help so that they can assess your case more in depth.
Questions to find out if you have depression
What questions can you ask yourself? We have selected a series of questions based on the diagnostic criteria for depression according to the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). We encourage you to read them and, above all, to write down the answers in a notebook.
How is your mood? Are you sad most of the day? If so, does it happen to you every day?
One of the essential symptoms of depression, along with loss of pleasure or interest, is a depressed mood most of the day, every day. That is why it is essential to ask yourself this question: how is your state of mind, in general? Is it a depressed mood?
Have you lost interest or pleasure? Don’t you already have enthusiasm for things? If so, does it happen to you every day?
Another of the fundamental symptoms of depression is anhedonia, which is the loss of interest or pleasure in things that used to produce it before. This diminution or loss of interest or pleasure occurs in all or almost all activities, most of the day, almost every day.
Have you lost or gained weight? Have you lost or gained appetite? If so, does it happen to you every day?
Although you can lose or gain weight for a thousand different reasons, the truth is that this symptom occurs very frequently in depression. This is the consequence of an increase or decrease in appetite, which in depression appears almost every day. In the case of weight loss, you should analyze if it is due to a diet or other possible causes such as a depressed mood.
How do you sleep? Do you sleep well Do you suffer from insomnia or hypersomnia? If you suffer from a sleep disorder, does it happen to you every day?
Sleep disorders are also very frequent in depression. One of two usually occurs: insomnia (inability to fall asleep, stay asleep, or wake up too early in the morning) or hypersomnia (excessive or excessively long daytime sleepiness and long periods of sleep at night).
These disorders in depression, if they appear, appear almost every day; that is, it is not a specific symptom.
Are you agitated or slow? If so, does this happen to you every day?
Another symptom of depression is agitation or psychomotor retardation almost every day. Thus, ask yourself if you feel more agitated or nervous than normal or, on the contrary, if you feel slow (psychomotor retardation) when carrying out your daily tasks. Like the rest of the symptoms, this appears in depression almost every day, so, in case of agitation or slowdown, you should ask yourself about the frequency, that is, if it happens every day or is it something specific.
Do you feel fatigued? Have you lost energy? If so, does this happen to you every day?
Fatigue or loss of energy is also a very common symptom in depression. It also appears almost every day. Therefore, another of the questions that you can ask yourself to find out if you have depression is this: do I feel more fatigued than normal? Or more tired? Does it happen to me every day?
Do you feel worthless? Do you feel excessive guilt for any reason? (Or by the fact that you feel depressed). If so, does this happen every day?
Another symptom of depression is a feeling of worthlessness, or excessive or inappropriate guilt, which can be delusional. This happens almost every day, too, and it’s not just self-reproach or guilt about being depressed.
Is it harder than usual for you to think, concentrate, or make decisions? If so, does this happen every day?
In depression, cognitive symptoms also appear, that is, our ability to think is also affected. One of these symptoms is a decreased ability to think or concentrate, or to make decisions, nearly every day. That is why another of the questions you should ask yourself is this: is it hard for me to think or concentrate? More than usual?
Do you think about death on a recurring basis? Have you had suicidal ideas or desire to take your own life? Have you tried it?
In depression, recurrent thoughts of death (which do not imply only fear of dying) are also frequent, as well as recurrent suicidal ideas without a specific plan, suicide attempts or specific plans to carry it out.
Do the symptoms cause you suffering and/or interfere with your daily functioning?
In mental health, often what marks the limit between something “normal” and suffering from a psychological disorder is the suffering and/or interference that these symptoms generate in daily life. When this suffering or interference appears, then it is likely that we are facing a psychological disorder that requires an adequate therapeutic approach.
How long have you felt this way?
To talk about depression, the symptoms must last at least 2 weeks. And of all the symptoms mentioned, at least 5 must appear; there must also be a change in previous functioning.
Diagnostic requirements in depression
It is important to know that to diagnose depression it is essential that the following be true: yes or yes, either a depressed mood (most of the day, almost every day) must appear, or a loss of interest or pleasure in the things that used to make us enjoy.
To this must be added, as we said, 4 of the previous symptoms (which we have known thanks to the proposed questions), that is, a minimum of 5 symptoms must appear.
So, if you manifest one of the two initial criteria (depressed mood or loss of pleasure or interest), added to 5 symptoms that we have discussed, for more than 2 weeks, it is likely that you suffer from depression.
The importance of asking for help if you have depression
However, we insist, not all depressions fit perfectly with what the theory says and not all depressions are equally serious. In this way, you may manifest fewer symptoms but these significantly interfere with your life, for example.
On the other hand, you know yourself better than anyone and it is likely that if you have come this far it is because you need answers and, above all, because you feel that your functioning has been interfered with for some reason.
Be that as it may, if you manifest mood, motivational or behavioral, cognitive, physical or interpersonal symptoms and, in addition, your state of mind is below normal, we encourage you to seek professional help.