Many of us know of depression but not many of us know the symptoms besides believing the people feel “sad”. The DSM-5 is written by the American Psychiatric Association and it defines and lists the symptoms for different psychological disorders, including Major Depressive Disorder.

The symptomes are listed as:

• “Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day.
• Markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities most of the day, nearly every day.
• Significant weight loss when not dieting or weight gain, or decrease or increase in appetite nearly every day.
• A slowing down of thought and a reduction of physical movement (observable by others, not merely subjective feelings of restlessness or being slowed down).
• Fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day.
• Feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt nearly every day.
• Diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness, nearly every day.
• Recurrent thoughts of death, recurrent suicidal ideation without a specific plan, or a suicide attempt or a specific plan for committing suicide.”

In order to be diagnosed you have to have five or more symptoms during the same two week period of time. If you feel that some of these symptomes apply to you, you should seek help. Do not try and diagnose yourself.

If you need someone to talk to and you don’t feel like you can with anyone close to you, try calling a hotline.

National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255

The Trevor Project (LGBTQ Hotline): 1-866-488-7386