National Institute of Mental Health
The Symptoms
Persistent sad or anxious mood, feelings of hopelessness, guilt, worthlessness, helplessness, loss of interest in activities the person once enjoyed, decreased energy (slowing down), difficulty concentrating or remembering information, insomnia, oversleeping, personal time clock is often confused, appetite or weight loss, overeating, thoughts of suicide and death, (Burned out & Blue, by Dr. Kristina Downing-Orr).
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There are many more ways to recognize depression and these are the main signs of it. There are multiple forms of depression that kids can adapt. The most common form of it is Major depression. Some signs of these are loss of interests in other wise fun activities, loss or too much energy, dramatic mood swings, loss of appetite, and loss of concentration. There is also manic depression and Dysthymia, both of which are less common forms but happen all the same. The most severe of these is Manic depressant or Bi-polar disorder (Web MD). |
Symptoms according to www.4girls.gov/mind/ help.depression.htm :
• sadness or crying that you can’t explain
• major changes in the way you eat such as not eating or over-eating
• being crabby, angry, worried or nervous
• feeling negative or not caring about anything
• feeling guilty or worthless
• thinking about death or committing suicide
• sleep changes, such as sleeping more or having trouble sleeping
• not being able to focus or make a decision
• not being able to enjoy the things you usually enjoy
• not wanting to spend time with your friends
• feeling restless or tired most of the time