Clinical Depression Symptoms

This is the most common mood disorder according to psychologists and psychiatrists. It is also called major-depressive disorder, or unipolar depression as compared to bipolar disorder. Clinical depression is a serious illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts that cannot simply be willed away by the individual. It can be a disabling disease that affects a person's work life, school life, sleeping and eating habits, and ability to enjoy the activities they normally would.

It can be a one-time event that can either appear gradually or suddenly, or last for months or years. In the most extreme cases, clinical depression is a life-long illness. Recurrence of clinical depression is common, and suicidal thoughts are a major risk.

Other clinical depression symptoms are the following:

A person may become restless, irritable, have difficulty remembering, thinking, or making decisions. He or she may experience feelings of worthlessness, pessimism, inappropriate guilt, and helplessness. There may be a loss of appetite and drastic weight loss, while in some cases, overeating and weight gain may occur. He or she may have insomnia, plus a loss of energy and increased fatigue. A person with clinical depression may have suicidal tendencies, plus loss of enjoyment from usual recreational activities.