What Are the Symptoms?

For major depression, you may experience five or more of the following for at least a two-week period:

• Persistent sadness, pessimism
• Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness or hopelessness
• Loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities, including sex
• Difficulty concentrating and complaints of poor memory
• Worsening of co-existing chronic disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis or diabetes
• Insomnia or oversleeping
• Weight gain or loss
• Fatigue, lack of energy
• Anxiety, agitation, irritability
• Thoughts of suicide or death
• Slow speech; slow movements
• Headache, stomachache, and digestive problems