How do you know if you’re depressed?

Knowing you’re depressed isn’t always straightforward because depression doesn’t always look like the “classic” image of constant sadness.

It’s more like a cluster of emotional, physical, and cognitive changes that persist over time and interfere with your daily life.

If I take myself as an example, I started thinking more negatively overall, and my sleep gradually worsened over time.

That’s why you need to learn to recognize the signs, based on clinical criteria and research:

1. It’s about duration and impact, not just bad days

Everyone feels down sometimes. Depression is different because:

• • Symptoms last at least two weeks (often much longer).

• • They cause noticeable changes in your mood, energy, thinking, and daily functioning.

2. Common emotional signs
   
   

• • Persistent sadness or emptiness instead of just situational blues.

• • Loss of interest or pleasure in activities you once enjoyed (anhedonia).

• • Feeling hopeless, worthless, or excessively guilty.

• • Irritability or frustration over small things.

3. Physical and behavioral changes

• • Fatigue that doesn’t improve with rest.

• • Changes in sleep, such as trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or oversleeping.

• • Changes in appetite or weight (increase or decrease).

• • Moving or speaking noticeably slower or, in some cases, restlessness.

• • More frequent aches, pains, or digestive issues without a clear medical cause.

Even though my sleep was often disturbed, I was still tired when I did manage to get a good night’s rest.

4. Cognitive shifts
   
   

• • Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions.

• • Recurrent negative thoughts or rumination.

• • Thoughts of death or suicide (this is always a red flag for immediate help in severe cases).

5. It’s not always “sadness”

Some people feel emotionally numb, disconnected, or “flat,” while others mainly notice irritability, anxiety, or exhaustion rather than overt sadness.

This is why depression can be missed, notably so in men, teenagers, and older adults.

While I was feeling extremely sad at first, it eventually evolved into total apathy and numbness.

6. Self-check: The quick screening tools

Clinicians often use questionnaires like the PHQ-9 or Beck Depression Inventory. While not a diagnosis, these can help you gauge severity.

Example PHQ-9 question: “Over the last two weeks, how often have you been bothered by feeling down, depressed, or hopeless?”

7. Changes in your social patterns
   
   

• • Withdrawing from friends, family, or social activities.

• • Feeling disconnected from others even when you’re with them.

• • Avoiding calls or messages because you “just can’t deal with them.”

I was so tired that even responding to text messages felt like too much.

8. Loss of emotional range

• • Feeling numb without real highs or lows.

• • Laughing or smiling less, even at things you normally enjoy.

• • Reduced capacity to feel excitement or anticipation.

9. Increase in “coping” behaviors

• • More mindless scrolling, binge-watching, or gaming to escape your thoughts.

• • Overeating, undereating, or turning to alcohol/substances more than usual.

• • Procrastination that isn’t just laziness, it feels like you can’t start.

Fortunately, healthy coping strategies exist. I started establishing a healthy routine that involved exercising, eating healthy food, and setting goals to keep me going.

10. Subtle physical changes
    
    

• • Your posture changes to more slumped and closed-off.

• • Noticeable tension in shoulders, jaw, or neck.

• • Taking longer to do basic tasks (showering, dressing, tidying).

I started slouching a lot more while taking longer to shower and dress myself.

11. Time perception shifts

• • Days blend together, sometimes to the point of not even knowing what day it is.

• • Feeling like time is dragging, especially during the day.

12. Uncharacteristic irritability or pessimism

• • Snapping at people over small things.

• • Always expecting the worst outcome.

• • Becoming overly self-critical about small mistakes.

13. “Everything feels harder” effect
    
    

• • Tasks that used to feel easy now feel exhausting.

• • Decision-making feels exhausting even about simple things like what to eat.

Even basic daily tasks such as getting out of bed and showering started feeling like a massive undertaking that I dreaded.

Normal low mood versus clinical depression

Feature	Normal low mood	Clinical depression
Duration:	Usually, for a few hours to a few days.	At least 2 weeks, often months if untreated.
Trigger:	Often linked to a specific event (e.g., conflict, disappointment).	May start after a trigger or for no clear reason.
Intensity:	Fluctuates; moments of feeling okay are common.	Persistent and pervasive; hard to feel joy even briefly.
Impact on daily life:	Still able to function and meet responsibilities.	Noticeable difficulty functioning at work, school, or home.
Mood pattern:	Improves with rest, support, or distraction.	Little to no relief from positive events or rest.
Thoughts:	Occasional self-doubt or worry.	Persistent hopelessness, worthlessness, or excessive guilt.
Energy levels:	Temporary tiredness.	Chronic fatigue, heaviness, or slowed movements.
Interest in activities:	Generally intact.	Substantial loss of interest or pleasure (anhedonia).
Physical changes:	Minor, short-lived.	Sleep disturbances, appetite/weight changes, unexplained aches.
Cognitive changes:	Mild concentration issues during stress.	Persistent difficulty thinking, concentrating, or making decisions.
Suicidal thoughts:	Rare in normal mood dips.	May appear in moderate to severe cases (urgent warning sign).

Final notes

It’s worth talking to a mental health professional if you notice low mood, loss of interest, or fatigue lasting for weeks that’s affecting work, relationships, or self-care.

Research illustrates that depression often starts with subtle behavioral and cognitive shifts before the mood symptoms become obvious. Recognizing these early signs can help you intervene before it worsens.

Depression is treatable, but the earlier you seek support, the better the outcome.

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