Symptoms and Impact of Depression
Individuals with depression often experience psychological, emotional and physical distress as a result of their feelings. We all have our 'ups' and 'downs', but those with depression experience their feelings for days, weeks and sometimes months at a time. Symptoms of clinical depression persist for a period of time not less than 2 weeks and include, but are not limited by, the following aspects:
SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION
Emotional:
hopelessness, pessimism, sadness, anxiety, worthlessness, loss of interests, feeling guilty, suicidal thoughts
Cognitive:
indecisiveness, poor concentration, inability to process info, forgetfulness, destructiveness, thoughts of death, thoughts of death
Physical:
restlessness, insomnia, loss of appetite, tiredness, change of weight, persistent fatigue, sexual problems, aches and pains, digestive problems
IMPACT OF DEPRESSION: • Causes tremendous emotional pain
• Disrupts the lives of millions of people
• Adversely affects the lives of families and friends
• Reduces work productivity and absenteeism
• Has a significant negative impact on the economy, costing an estimated $44 billion a year.
