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Step 1
Determine if you've experienced any mood changes. Depression affects your mood, and people who suffer from depression are usually sad and down for long periods of time (at least two consecutive weeks). Some other common mood changes include feeling miserable, hopeless, unhappy and blue, frequent crying spells and being irritable and anxious.
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Step 2
Verify whether or not your eating habits have changed. Since depression affects people differently, a person may either eat more food or lose their appetite. Think about what you've eaten over the last couple of weeks, and see if you notice any major changes in your diet or food intake.
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Step 3
Decide if your sleeping patterns have changed. You may notice a significant change in the amount of sleep you are getting. Depression may cause a person to sleep more often than usual and also sleep more during the day. However, some depressed individuals have problems falling asleep and therefore, find themselves suffering from insomnia.
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Step 4
Evaluate your social life. Depression usually causes a person to withdraw from social activities and become isolated from others. Try to figure out if you've been spending more time alone and if you've stopped engaging in activities that you used to enjoy doing.
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Step 5
Confirm your attention span. If you are suffering from depression, you may find it more difficult to pay attention, concentrate and stay focused. So, check and see if you notice any changes with your attention span.
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Step 6
Look for changes in your energy level. It is common for depressed individuals to feel tired and restless due to a decrease in their energy level. So, if you are suffering from depression, you may not have the energy to complete your normal tasks, obligations or job duties.
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Step 7
Speak with a mental health professional about your symptoms. The only way to know for sure that you have depression is to meet with a licensed and trained mental health professional, such as a counselor, therapist or psychologist.
