Depression doesn’t mean just the normal feelings of sadness that everyone experiences when life gets difficult. It can be sadness that doesn’t go away, or a loss of interest or pleasure in the things you used to enjoy, plus a range of other changes in the way you feel, think or act. If these feelings last for more than 2 weeks, it could be depression. If you think you could be depressed, the first step to getting better is talking to someone about it. If you feel life is not worth living, you need to get help immediately by calling the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467 and/or your GP.
Common symptoms of depression include:
- low mood or a loss of interest or pleasure in things you used to enjoy;
- a change in your weight or appetite (an increase or a decrease);
- insomnia, or sleeping more;
- feeling restless or slowed down;
- fatigue or loss of energy;
- feelings of worthlessness, or excessive or inappropriate guilt;
- problems concentrating or making decisions;
- recurrent thoughts of death, or thinking about or attempting suicide.