How do you know when you’re just having a hard time and are stressed out, or if it’s something more serious? When is it clinical depression? While a doctor is the only one who can make a qualified diagnosis, there are some signs and symptoms of depression that can signal your need to see a doctor. Here are some of those signs and symptoms.

Morning Blues

According to medical sources, feeling particularly depressed in the morning is a sign that you may have depression. Feeling sad all day is also part of depression, but the morning blues, perhaps making you just want to stay in or go back to bed, are particularly likely to be connected with depression.

Anger

Many people don’t realize that recent research points to a connection between anger and depression. Blowing up and yelling at people without being able to control it may signify depression.

Irritability

Slightly different from anger, irritability is more about feeling snappish or easily frustrated and/or annoyed than angry blow-ups. Irritability connected to depression may make you feel really on edge all the time.

Overwhelm

Do you find yourself wanting to give up because things seem like they’re just too much? Do you say, “I just can’t take anymore,” often? Depression can make you feel overwhelmed and over-stressed even when your schedule is not terribly demanding. Even a simple request for you to do something may send you over the edge and make you feel super-stressed.

Feeling Inadequate

People with depression may constantly compare themselves to others. As noted above, a not-too-demanding schedule may seem overwhelming to a depressed person, thus making the depressed person feel inadequate that he/she can’t handle a schedule that others seem to handle fine. This sets up a cycle of feeling inadequate.

Insomnia or Excessive Sleepiness

Ironically, depression can cause some people to lose sleep, while it makes others want to sleep all the time (hypersomnia).

Lack of Interest

Are you just not interested in any outside activities? Are things you once looked forward to just burdensome things you have to trudge through and get done? This may mean you have depression.

Changes in Weight

In another irony of depression, both weight loss and weight gain may be symptoms of depression. Generally, if you gain or lose 5% or more of your body weight in a month, it may mean depression.

Indecision

Depression can make you feel like you can’t make a decision, even simple ones. Your schedule just seems like gibberish when you look at it; you may not show up for things you have on your calendar or get dates wrong. Everyone makes mistakes, of course, but if this is a chronic problem or you just can’t seem to get a handle on your schedule even when you sit down and try to figure out what to do and what to skip, it may mean depression.

Inability to Concentrate

Depressed people often have trouble concentrating and focusing. Your mind may wander, and you may feel like you just can’t get it together.

Natural treatments

You may be interested in natural treatments. Even cases of severe depression may benefit from natural remedies in conjunction with medication.

Natural treatments run the gamut from supplements to lifestyle changes to alternative therapy. Here are some natural treatments that may help this disorder.

Dietary Adjustments

Natural health experts generally agree that diet is important in managing depression symptoms. Some dietary changes you can make include:

* Eat nutrient-dense foods. This helps make sure your body has all the vitamins and minerals it needs for proper brain function. Fresh produce, nuts, and whole grains tend to be rich in vital nutrients.

* EFAs, or essential fatty acids, may help boost mood in depressed individuals. EFAs can be found in healthy oils like olive or safflower, and in fish and nuts.

* Cut back on refined white sugar and corn syrup. These refined sweeteners tend to cause blood sugar spikes and slumps, which contribute to the symptoms of depression.

* Eat whole foods, such as whole grains and fresh produce. This not only provides depressed individuals with much-needed, healthy carbs; it also minimizes artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives from the diet. These artificial substances may contribute to depression in some individuals.

Chiropractic and other Body-Oriented Treatments

These alternative therapies seem to be gaining acceptance among medical experts. Techniques like chiropractic adjustments, massage, acupuncture, and others may help relieve depression symptoms. This may have to do with improving circulation or the elimination of toxins from the tissues of the body. Other body treatments include:

* Dance therapy

* Acupressure

* Martial arts

* Yoga

Exercise

Working out daily can be hard even if you don’t have depression. But it’s even more important if you do exercise has been shown to help relieve symptoms of depression. This may be due to the ability of exercise to boost brain chemicals that make you feel happy. Exercise brings balance to your life, balancing activity and rest; a balanced lifestyle itself can be very helpful in dealing with depression.

Most sources are consistent in pointing out that exercise need not be strenuous, but that it should be regular, 30 to 60 minutes a day for 3 to 6 days a week.

Supplements

A good vitamin and mineral supplement that is high in B12 and B6 is said to be good for alleviating depression. Magnesium is another mineral that tends to be deficient in many people, and that is important for proper nerve and muscle function. You may also find that supplements of evening primrose oil, flax oil, or fish oil will help your mood.

Herbal supplements have sometimes been used with success. St. John’s Wort is probably the best-known herb that may combat depression. Others include ginseng, valerian root, and chamomile. Chamomile can be drunk as a tea, as can another tasty sedative herb, lemon balm.

Conclusion

Always check with your doctor before supplementing with any herbs to avoid any adverse drug/herb interactions. And if you know a qualified herbalist, you can get advice from him or her, too.