Saturday, April 18, 2009 @6:20 PM
1. Depressed Mood
A person may report feeling "sad" or "empty" or may cry frequently. Children and adolescents may exhibit irritability.2. Decreased Interest or Pleasure
A person may show markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, daily activities. 3. Weight Changes
Significant changes in weight when not attempting to gain or lose (a gain or loss of 5% or more in a month) may be indicative of depression. In children, this may also present as a failure to make expected weight gains.
4. Sleep Disturbances
Insomnia or sleeping too much may be a symptom of depression.5. Psychomotor Agitation or Retardation
The person may be observed to be either agitated and restless or physically slowed down in their movements.
6. Fatigue
Deep fatigue or a loss of energy is a symptom of depression.7. Feelings of Worthlessness or Guilt
A depressed person may feel that they have no value or they may feel inappropriately guilty about things they have no control over. 8. "Brain Fog"
A depressed person may have a diminished ability to think, concentrate or make decisions.
9. Thoughts of Death
A depressed person may have recurring thoughts of death, especially thoughts of suicide, with or without a specific plan. Instead of acknowledging their feelings, asking for help, or seeking appropriate treatment, men may turn to alcohol or drugs when they are depressed, or become frustrated, discouraged, angry, irritable and, sometimes, violently abusive. Some men deal with depression by throwing themselves compulsively into their work, attempting to hide their depression from themselves, family, and friends; other men may respond to depression by engaging in reckless behavior, taking risks, and putting themselves in harm's way.Bipolar disorder is a
psychiatric diagnosis that describes a category of
mood disorders defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated mood clinically referred to as
mania or, if milder,
hypomania. Individuals who experience manic episodes also commonly experience
depressive episodes or symptoms, or
mixed episodes in which features of both mania and depression are present at the same time. These episodes are usually separated by periods of "normal"
mood, but in some individuals, depression and mania may rapidly alternate, known as
rapid cycling. Extreme manic episodes can sometimes lead to
psychotic symptoms such as
delusions and
hallucinations. The disorder has been subdivided into
bipolar I,
bipolar II,
cyclothymia, and other types, based on the nature and severity of mood episodes experienced; the range is often described as the
bipolar spectrum.
look at me, what am I turning into.
