When you have 1 of these 10 symptoms, you should think about depression.

Small changes in your body that few people notice can be the first signs of depression that you have overlooked.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says that nearly 300 million people worldwide suffer from depression. About 3% of the population in Japan suffers from depression, while the figure in the US is 17%.

In Vietnam, WHO estimates that there are about 3.6 million people suffering from this disease, accounting for 4% of the population (2015 data). Of these, about 5,000 people die from suicide because people with depression are 25 times more likely to commit suicide than others.

10 signs of depression

Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Doan Phuong, Director of the Institute of Mental Health, Bach Mai Hospital, said that depression is a common disorder, it is not a sign of weakness. Anyone can suffer from depression.

A young female patient is being treated at Bach Mai Hospital.

It is most common in the 18-45 age group, with women twice as likely to suffer from it as men. If detected early and treated properly, depression can be cured.

Here are 10 common signs of depression:

- Feeling bored, empty

- Difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness

- Always feel tired, don't want to do anything

- Feeling guilty, useless, unworthy

- Insomnia, or sleeping too much

- Irritable, angry

- Decreased interest in daily activities or hobbies

- Decreased appetite, weight loss or overeating

- Thinking about death, having suicidal ideas or behavior

Dr. Duong Minh Tam, Head of the Department of Stress-Related Disorders Treatment, Institute of Mental Health, added that in addition to the above signs, depressed patients also have 18-22 other physical symptoms such as headaches, chest pain, digestive disorders, menstrual disorders, decreased libido, joint pain, etc.

“However, not everyone who has one of the above signs is depressed. There needs to be an additional time criterion. These symptoms must appear continuously for 2 weeks or more to be diagnosed with depression,” Dr. Tam shared.

In particular, we need to pay special attention to 3 main symptoms: Sudden decrease in mood (gloomy, sad, depressed); decreased interest compared to before (previously enjoyed shopping, gossiping, watching movies... now no longer); decreased energy (easily tired)... The remaining 7 symptoms are common.

In the mild depressive stage, the patient will have 1-3 main symptoms mentioned above and 1-2 common symptoms.

In severe depression, the patient has 8-10 symptoms.

There are many causes of depression such as stress, psychological trauma in life, study, family relationships, society or after suffering from other illnesses.

People with vulnerable personalities, who are quiet, introverted, and anxious are more likely to suffer from depression than others.

80% mistaken for other diseases

According to Dr. Tam, treating depression is currently very difficult, because most patients are not recognized and treated early.

“Up to 80% of depressed patients initially seek medical treatment, see internists and surgeons to examine physical symptoms without paying attention to emotional symptoms,” Dr. Tam informed.

Dr. Duong Minh Tam. Photo: T. Hanh

In the US, a 2014 study found that about two-thirds of depressed patients do not realize they have the disease and do not receive treatment.

According to Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Van Cuong, President of the Vietnam Psychiatric Association, the reason for the difficulty in recognizing is that there are up to 13 types of depressive disorders, many of which have outward manifestations identical to schizophrenia or overlap with symptoms of diseases such as cardiovascular, liver, lung, bone and joint diseases... so no matter how much examination, the root disease cannot be found.

Depression and other diseases also have a two-way interaction, in which depression is a risk factor that makes the treatment time of internal diseases longer and people with chronic diseases themselves also have a higher rate of depression such as Parkinson's disease with 51% of patients depressed, followed by cancer (42%), diabetes (27%), cardiovascular disease (21%), HIV (12%)...

Therefore, doctors recommend that if you see physical signs and have examined many places but cannot find the disease, you should see a psychiatrist.

Depression can be completely cured if detected early and treated properly. Currently, the main treatment methods are medication, psychotherapy, electroshock, and transcranial magnetic stimulation.

This is a disorder that requires long-term treatment. More than 50% of patients are still at risk of relapse after the first time, this rate increases to 70% after the second relapse and up to 90% after a relapse. Therefore, people with depression need support from family and community with active psychological therapy measures.

According to VNN