What does depression feel like?
Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Oct 14, 2024.
What depression (major depressive disorder) feels like is different for everyone, but most commonly people say they experience feelings of:
- Profound sadness
- Tearfulness
- Hopelessness
- A severe low mood
Depression is not just feeling sad occasionally. People with depression can experience a wide range of symptoms that are persistent and occur daily for much of the day. Symptoms can have a big impact on day-to-day life. It is common for people with depression to feel isolated and withdrawn from life, as they lose interest in friends and activities they usually enjoy.
Changes in appetite and sleep patterns highlight the individual nature of the symptoms people experience. Some people with depression will have an increase in appetite causing them to gain weight, while others will eat less, leading to weight loss. Some people will also have trouble getting to sleep and staying asleep (insomnia), while others will sleep too much.
Feeling restless or agitated are also symptoms of depression, as is fatigue and feeling both physically and mentally slowed. Feelings of anxiousness, irritability and upset may also occur. Struggling to concentrate, being easily distracted and finding it difficult to make decisions are also signs that you may have depression.
Feelings of worthlessness, helplessness, self-hate and inappropriate guilt may also be experienced during an episode of depression. In severe cases, people with depression may also think about suicide or death and will in some cases act on those thoughts. Importantly, most forms of depression respond well to antidepressant medications and counseling.
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How to sleep while taking Cymbalta?
Not being able to sleep (also called insomnia) is one of the most common side effects reported by people taking Cymbalta. In some people, this side effect improves after a couple of weeks of taking Cymbalta, but difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep can persist in others. Here are some ways you can improve sleep while taking Cymbalta:
- Take your dose of Cymbalta in the morning. Cymbalta may be given once a day or twice a day but for those people experiencing insomnia, it should be taken just once a day in the morning
- Swallow Cymbalta capsules whole; do not crush, chew, or open up the capsules and sprinkle them on food because this may cause Cymbalta to be absorbed more quickly than intended, increasing the risk of side effects such as insomnia...
What is Exxua?
Exxua (gepirone hydrochloride) is new antidepressant that was FDA approved on September 22, 2023 for major depressive disorder (MDD). Exxua works slightly differently to other currently available antidepressants which may improve its side effect profile, particularly with regards to having less of an impact on sexual functioning and negligible weight gain. Continue reading
Can depression cause headaches?
Yes, headaches can be a symptom of depression, among many other symptoms such as feeling sad, tearful and loss of interest in everyday activities. An association with depression has also been identified in patients with migraine headaches. Severe headaches may also cause a person to feel depressed. Continue reading
See also:
Lybalvi
Lybalvi is used to treat adults with manic or mixed episodes associated with bipolar I disorder ...
Abilify
Abilify is an antipsychotic medicine used to treat the symptoms of schizophrenia and bipolar ...
Vraylar
Vraylar is a once a day antipsychotic medication used to treat mental health or mood disorders ...
Seroquel
Seroquel is used to treat the symptoms of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depressive ...
Lamictal
Lamictal is an anti-epileptic medication used treat seizures in adults and children over 2 years ...
Depakote
Depakote is used to treat various types of seizure disorders. Learn about side effects ...
Lithium
Lithium is used to treat the manic episodes of manic depression - hyperactivity, rushed speech ...
Carbamazepine
Carbamazepine is used to treat epileptic seizures and nerve pain such as trigeminal neuralgia ...
Risperidone
Risperidone is used to treat schizophrenia and symptoms of bipolar disorder. Learn about side ...
Olanzapine
Olanzapine (brand name Zyprexa) is an atypical antipsychotic that may be used to treat adults and ...
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