How Do You Know If You Have Depression?

Not every day is beautiful. Each of us goes through difficult days that are not easy to accept, such as the failure of a relationship, the loss of someone who occupied a large place in our life, losing a job, or failing in our studies. All these experiences should run their course and end, with the negative feeling eventually disappearing. But if that feeling persists for a long time, it may negatively affect your entire life, consume your time, and trap you in a dark room filled with negative emotions, under the shadow ofdepression, which acts like a vampire, draining all your happiness and positive feelings until you ultimately find yourself needingto confront this illness. Otherwise, your days will pass in vain, as though you were not truly living them.

What is depression?

It is a psychological condition that affects about 5% of men and 10% of women and involves a mixture ofsadness,fear and anxiety, loneliness, feelings of rejection and helplessness, and an inability to face life's problems.

Depression markedly affects a person's physical, emotional, and psychological balance, leading tosleep problems, whether excessive sleep or insomnia, and appetite problems, whether increased appetite or loss of appetite, as well asirritability, which is sometimes accompanied by crying over the smallest things, and a loss of the ability to concentrate and make sound decisions. In some cases ofsevere depression,suicidal thoughtsmay arise and could end the person's life.

Types of depression.

Before discussing the types of depression, we should note that when a person experiences depression combined with the symptoms mentioned above, it is called unipolar depression. If it is accompanied by mania, it is called bipolar depression.

1. Major depressive disorder.This type of depression is characterized by accompanying mania, withdrawal into delusions and false beliefs, attempts to detach from and escape reality, and hallucinations or sensing the presence of things that do not actually exist.
2. Postpartum depression: Also known as the baby blues, it affects about 50% of new mothers. A mother who has recently given birth may experience mild depression, anxiety, ortension, and may experiencesleep problemsdespite feeling tired most of the time. This type of depression may last only a few hours or days before disappearing.
3. Seasonal major depression: The same symptoms and criteria requiredfor diagnosisappear here, with one difference: they are associated with a particular season of the year. A major depressive episode usually begins in autumn or winter and ends with the arrival of spring. This type of depression is generally common in cold regions with long winters.

How do you know if you have depression?

1. Losing the ability to enjoy things.
2. Noticeable weight loss or gain due to appetite problems, whether increased or reduced appetite.
3. Irregular sleep, whether excessive sleep or exhausting insomnia.
4. Feelings of guilt followed by hopelessness and despair.
5. Difficulty concentrating and an inability to make sound decisions.
6. Thinking about suicideand attempting it.

A patient is diagnosedwith major depressive disorder, or severe depression, when five or more of the previous symptoms appear and persist for two weeks or longer. Bipolar depression, also called manic depression, has the same symptoms, but to a degree beyond the normal range and accompanied by mania or auditory or visual hallucinations, as well as delusions and suspicion of those around the person, believing that they are trying to cause harm.

Whendepression is seasonal, and the patient experiences it especially in winter because the days are shorter, the previous symptoms appear but do not last long. As forpostpartum depression, its symptoms appear after childbirth but do not last long. They are also accompanied by insomnia, reduced appetite, and irritability because of the pressure the woman experiences.

If you experience the previous symptoms and they persist for more than two weeks, do not dismiss them. Worsening feelings of this kind could expose youto the risk of suicide. You should therefore contact a family member, a close friend, ora mental health professional. Whoever you choose, it is important to release and express what you feel so that the situation does not become unbearable.