Depression is common. It can affect day-to-day life and can be very distressing. Sometimes it can be severe enough to interfere with normal day-to-day activities.

  • Loss of interest or pleasure in activities, even for activities that you normally enjoy. Feelings of worthlessness, or excessive or inappropriate guilt. Disturbed sleep compared with your usual pattern. This may be difficulty in getting off to sleep, or waking early and being unable to get back to sleep. Sometimes it is sleeping too much.
  • Sadness or low mood. This may be with or without weepiness.
  • Change in appetite. This is often a poor appetite and weight loss. Sometimes the reverse happens with comfort eating and weight gain.
  • Fatigue (tiredness) or loss of energy.
  • Some people have recurring episodes of depression and require long-term treatment to keep symptoms away.