If you feel overwhelmed by persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness, you might be dealing with severe depression. Your mental health is a crucial component of your overall sense of well-being, so it is important to recognize whether your symptoms are the result of a treatable condition like depression.
The help you need for managing major depression is available at 5 Palms. Our comprehensive mental health and addiction treatment programs are customized for your situation, whether you need the intensive support of residential depression treatment or the guidance of a more flexible outpatient program.
Do You Have Severe Depression?
Severe depression, also known as major depression or clinical depression, is much more than the occasional feeling of sadness. While everyone feels down or hopeless from time to time, people with severe depression experience low feelings regularly for a lengthy period. How do you know if you have major depression? Consider the following symptoms:
Persistent Feelings of Sadness and Hopelessness
You often feel a deep sense of sadness and hopelessness that lasts for weeks or months. When you have severe depression, it can be extremely difficult to overcome the intense low mood. There is no way to simply snap out of it, regardless of whether you or others believe you have reason to feel depressed. Depression is not always correlated with how “good” or “bad” your life is.
Loss of Interest in Activities
One telltale sign of major depression is losing interest in hobbies, activities, and events you used to love. When you find yourself not wanting to do anything but doomscroll on social media or binge-watch Netflix, it could be a sign of depression.
Fatigue
Low energy is common with many physical and mental health conditions, so it is easy to overlook. If you often feel sad or hopeless, along with being exhausted much of the time, you should get assessed for depression.
Changes in Sleep Patterns
A common misperception of major depression is that it causes people to sleep a lot more than usual. While some people with this condition do sleep excessively, especially due to fatigue, others may find it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep throughout the night.
Changes in Appetite and Weight
Like with sleep patterns, depression can affect appetite and weight in dramatically different ways. Some people are much hungrier and crave comfort foods, leading to weight gain, while others lose their appetite and start to drop weight quickly.
Inability to Concentrate
Major depression can affect your memory and make it hard to focus or make decisions.
Thoughts of Self-Harm
The sadness that accompanies severe depression can be so intense that some people contemplate self-harm or suicide.
If you or a loved one is experiencing any of these symptoms, or if you’ve considered suicide, please reach out for immediate support by dialing 988, or call your local emergency services.
The Differences Between Minor and Major Depression
There are several types of depressive disorders, some minor and some major, but all can affect your overall life satisfaction. A few key differences between minor and major depression:
- Minor depression is sometimes referred to as dysthymia, while major depression is called major depression disorder (MDD), severe depression, or clinical depression.
- Minor depression involves milder feelings of sadness and hopelessness; major depression symptoms are more intense.
- Those with minor depression may feel tired and have low motivation, while people with MDD experience overwhelming feelings of despair, loss of interest in activities, and even suicidal thoughts.
All forms of depression can be challenging, but major depression can be all-consuming and significantly interfere with a person’s ability to function in daily life. Whether you have minor or major depression, treatment is available. There’s always hope.
Enroll in Depression Treatment at 5 Palms Today
If you suspect your low mood may be related to depression, you should schedule an assessment with a mental health professional for a proper diagnosis. Call 5 Palms now at 1.844.675.1022 or contact us through the online form to make an appointment.