What Does Depression Feel Like?
Symptoms Can Vary By Type and Severity of Depression
Verywell / Laura Porter
Medically reviewed by Carly Snyder, MDMedically reviewed by Carly Snyder, MD
Depression, a mood disorder that can cause mild to severe symptoms, can affect how you feel, think, and manage daily activities. Unlike the temporary sadness we all experience sometimes, depression causes persistent feelings of emptiness, unhappiness, and hopelessness. If your mood has changed over the last few weeks, and routine daily tasks are becoming difficult, you may have depression.
Takeaway
Depression is one of the most common mental health disorders in the United States. An estimated 21 million adults—8.3% of the U.S. population—experienced a major depressive episode in 2021.
How Depression Feels
Many people believe that depression symptoms must be debilitating to warrant professional help. However, some of the subtle signs of depression are often the first indication that something is going on. Here are some examples of how depression may feel.
There is no pleasure or joy in life. According to Anjani Amladi, MD, a board-certified psychiatrist, it’s so much more than being sad. According to Amladi, “depression robs people of things they once loved, and for many people, they feel like nothing will bring them joy again.”
Concentration and focus are difficult and decisions, challenging. Amladi says that people sometimes describe this as being in a fog. They are unable to think clearly or follow what is happening around them.
There is no way out. Everything feels hopeless and overwhelming. This can lead to feelings of failure and worthlessness. In serious cases, it can lead to suicidal thoughts or actions.
You sleep too much, or you can't fall asleep. Falling asleep, staying asleep, frequent nighttime awakening, and feeling tired upon waking despite getting an adequate number of hours of sleep are common among people with depression. “This can lead to a feeling of exhaustion and low energy, which can prevent people from even being able to get out of bed, or perform daily activities like showering, eating and brushing their teeth,” Amladi says.
You're in physical pain. People with depression can feel body aches, headaches, muscle tension, and even nausea.
Learn More: The Best Online Help for Depression of 2024
How People With Depression Describe It
Leela R. Magavi, psychiatrist and regional medical director for Community Psychiatry, says the most common question asked in her practice is, "How does depression feel?"
Takeaway
Information presented in this article may be triggering for some people. If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.
For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database.
“Some people ask me this question for comfort and to ensure that they are not alone with their experience, while others feel so confused by their tumultuous feelings that they struggle to clearly identify their inner experience,” she says.
Here are some of the responses Magavi hears in her sessions:
"Depression feels like a weight on my chest, which brings me down everywhere I go."
"Depression is receiving praise at work but still feeling worthless."
"Depression is the loneliness I feel when I see other couples and families laughing and enjoying their lives."
"Depression is feeling like I am a failure as a person, family member, and friend."
"Depression is when I cannot take care of my children because I cannot take care of myself."
"Depression is not brushing my hair and teeth because I simply cannot move."
"Depression is smiling when others laugh, hiding behind the fabricated mask, and wishing I could just disappear."
"Depression is my life and shadow, which haunts me every day."
Christian Sismone, who has dealt with depression and anxiety her entire life, says it’s important to provide a non-clinical perspective. She shares these examples:
“Depression makes my mind feel like a turtle running in chunky peanut butter.” Sismone says this is most evident when she is not able to have clear thoughts.
“Depression feels like I'm suffocating in my emotions, and at times, I feel as though I can breathe but only through a straw.” Sismone, who has felt suicidal in the past, says the complicated emotion of depression can feel too great.
“Depression can feel like an old friend that doesn't quite fit, but you know the ins and outs.” For Sismone, learning how to work with depression instead of running away from it helped her move forward.
Learn More: 7 Facts You Should Know About Depression
Types of Depression
Because depression is such a complex disorder, defining and diagnosing it with just one set of generalized criteria is troublesome. In fact, there are several types of depression. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, the two most common are major depression (clinical depression) and persistent depressive disorder.
Takeaway
Major depression—the most commonly diagnosed form—causes symptoms that interfere with the ability to work, sleep, study, eat, and enjoy life. They last for most of the day, nearly every day, for at least two weeks
Persistent depressive disorder dysthymia is diagnosed after a person has symptoms of depression that last for at least two years.
Other forms of depression include:
Perinatal or prepartum depression, which occurs during pregnancy
Postpartum depression, which occurs after pregnancy and childbirth
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), which features depressive episodes that come and go with the seasons
Psychotic depression, which co-occurs with one other form of psychosis
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PDD), which is a severe extension of premenstrual syndrome
Common Signs and Symptoms of Depression
Depressive symptoms can range from mild to severe and include:
Sadness
Loss of interest or pleasure in actives you used to enjoy
Feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness, and pessimism (expecting only bad things to occur)
Irritability
Difficulty sleeping
Changes in appetite
Lack of energy
Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions
Increase in aches and pains, headaches, digestive problems
Lack of self-care (not bathing, grooming, etc)
Withdraw from social activities
Thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts
Tips for Friends and Family
According to Kevin Gilliland, PsyD, a licensed clinical psychologist and executive director of Innovation360, suggests being respectfully curious about your loved one's feelings. You don’t need a great understanding of what depression feels like to you; listen to how depression feels to them. Try to understand it enough so that you can stay aware of the symptoms and look for the little things that indicate your loved one is doing well (or not)
“What’s most important is that we are trying to care for them, and when we are aware of their struggle, we can check on them and ask what we can do to help,” Gilliland says.
Summing It Up
Depression is a serious mental health issue. Although symptoms can vary with severity, it’s not uncommon to experience many of the feelings described above.
That said, if you’re experiencing more than a few symptoms of depression or are worried that your symptoms are worsening, schedule an appointment with your doctor or mental health expert as soon as possible.
Read Next: How to Identify Your Emotions When You’re Depressed
Read the original article on Verywell Mind.
