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Depression, like fatigue, is very difficult to define. We can only count on ourselves or loved ones to help us decide if we are indeed clinically depressed. Often the feeling of depression creeps onto us so slowly that we may not even be aware of what we used to feel like.

The American Psychiatric Association¹ lists eight typical symptoms associated with depression. These being:

1 Inappropriate weight gain or weight loss without obvious cause and with poor appetite.

2 Hyperactivity or hypoactivity.

3 Too little or too much sleep.

4 Reduced interest in normal activities including reduced libido.

5 Poor concentration.

6 Low self-esteem and feelings of inadequecy and guilt.

7 Suicidal tendencies and obsession with death.

8 Fatigue.

An individual suffering at least five of these symptoms for a minimum of four weeks could be diagnosed as a depressive. This criteria may seem rather vague and arbitrary, but it must be remembered that depression presents many symptoms that are difficult to categorize or measure.

Are you depressed?

A useful guideline for telling if you may be depressed is offered by Dr Ridha Arem in his book The Thyroid Solution².

Read through the following 22 questions and answer them as honestly and objectively as you can.

1 Are you tired all the time?

2 Have you lost interest or pleasure in activities that you used to enjoy?

3 Have you lost interest in sex?

4 Are you in a more or less constant sad mood?

5 Are you often irritable and become angry over trivial matters?

6 Do you experience crying spells?

7 Do you feel slowed down?

8 Do you have feelings of worthlessness?

9 Do you often experience a sense of guilt about things?

10 Has your appetite increased and/or have you gained weight?

11 Has your appetite decreased and/or have you lost weight?

12 Do you have difficulty with memory and/or difficulty concentrating on normal activities?

13 Do you have trouble making decisions, or do you feel inefficient?

14 Do you have trouble sleeping through the night?

15 Do you sleep too much (either going to bed too early or sleeping too late)?

16 Do you wish you were dead?

17 Do you think about harming or killing yourself?

18 Do you feel like a failure?

19 Do you feel pessimistic or hopeless most of the time?

20 Are you too critical of yourself, or do you dislike yourself?

21 Do you feel that you are being punished?

22 Have you become very sensitive to criticism or rejection?

If you answered ‘yes’ to five or more of the above questions you may be depressed. It would be wise to talk to a health professional or doctor about these feelings.

This list is very helpful to assess your symptoms as an aid to diagnosis. However, to make the process easier I believe that there are six key symptoms that are common to those who are depressed. These being:

1 Low libido

2 Poor concentration and memory

3 Mental and physical fatigue

4 Moodiness and low self-esteem

5 Unexpected weight gain or weight loss

6 Disturbances of the metabolism, including appetite, sleep patterns, bowels and immune efficiency.