Fall 1994
Are you depressed?
How do you know if you have depression or mania? Diagnosis is a
doctor's job, but there are telltale signs of the illness. They
include:
- Sleep problems. Do you frequently have a hard time getting a good
night's rest? Is your energy level so low it's hard to get out of
bed?
- Despondency. Do you ever consider suicide?
- Sexual appetite. Do you have a diminished interest in sex ,
hobbies, food or activities you once enjoyed? With manic
depressives, a mood swing to mania often is accompanied by increased
sexual drive.
- Self-deprecation. Do you minimize your achievements and inwardly
criticize yourself?
- Uncontrolled emotions. Do you cry for no
apparent reason? Feel elated or irritable for unexplained reasons?
- Hyperactivity. Do you have grandiose notions, thoughts that race
through your head or periods of unbound energy?
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