A Checklist for Depression

What's the difference between a bad case of the blues and the painful mental disorder known as depression? According to the experts, impaired functioning is usually a clear-cut indication of a major depression.

Here's a quick checklist of depression symptoms. If the list sounds familiar, you may want to see a counselor or a psychiatrist.

• Depressive mood: Do you suffer from feelings of gloom, helplessness or pessimism for days at a time?

• Sleep disturbance: Do you have trouble falling asleep at night or trouble staying asleep—waking up in the middle of the night or too early in the morning? Are you sleeping too much?

• Chronically fatigued: Do you frequently feel tired or lack energy?

• Isolation: Have you stopped meeting with family or friends? Increasing isolation and diminished interest or pleasure in activities are major signs of depression.

• Appetite disturbance: Are you eating far less than usual—or far more? Severe and continuing appetite disturbance is often an indication of depression.

• Inability to concentrate: If you can't seem to focus on even routine tasks, it's probably time to get some help.

• Dependence on mood-altering substances: If you depend on alcohol or other drugs to make it through the day, you may be suffering from depression. Often the substance abuse causes symptoms that mimic the appearance of clinical depression, but are in fact due wholly to the drug use.

• Feeling a sense of inappropriate guilt or worthlessness

• Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide or a suicide attempt