Depressed Mood

• The first signs that an individual is falling into depression are unexplainable feelings of sadness or gloominess. These feelings may also follow a significant negative experience (i.e., death in the family, romantic breakup) but will last longer than typical mourning periods.
  
  

Lack of Interest

• Individuals no longer feel like participating in activities they were previously passionate about; friends and close relationships tend to fall by the wayside as the depressed individual begins closing herself off, physically and/or emotionally.
  
  

Feelings of Worthlessness

• Depressed individuals begin to view their lives as meaningless, and thoughts such as "what is the point of it all?" are common. Individuals may begin to sleep much longer than usual due to the feeling that their situation is hopeless.
  
  

Poor Concentration

• Depression begins to make a big impact on the individual's performance on everyday tasks, and normal conversation becomes harder and harder as the person's personality and interest in others becomes more muted.
  
  

Thoughts of Death/Suicide

• Individuals experiencing a major depressive episode may have recurring thoughts of dying, even going as far as to tell others that they are planning on committing suicide or making written plans to do so.
  
  

Prevention/Solution

• To some extent, we all exhibit these signs at one time or another, but if you or someone you know shows three or more signs simultaneously and/or for an extended period of time, it is imperative you seek mental health counseling immediately.