Being depressed is more than feeling down for a day or two. It usually goes much deeper and affects the things you do as well as how you feel. You may find it hard to cope with everyday life.

You may have depression if you: ^[5]

• Feel sad most of the time for at least two weeks (you may feel a little better in the evenings). You may be tearful a lot of the time

• Lose interest in doing things you used to enjoy

• Find it harder to concentrate or make decisions

• Feel you can't cope with things the way you used to

• Have no energy

• Feel restless and agitated

• Lose your appetite and lose weight (or the reverse happens and you put on weight)

• Have trouble sleeping. For example, it may take you one to two hours to get to sleep, and then you wake up earlier than usual

• Lose interest in sex

• Lose your self-confidence

• Feel useless or worthless

• Feel guilty for no reason

• Avoid other people

• Feel irritable

• Feel worse at a particular time each day, usually in the morning

• Think about suicide. If you have suicidal thoughts or feelings it's important to get medical help straight away.

You don't need to have all of these symptoms to be diagnosed with depression. But if you have five or six, it may mean you have depression. If you think you may have depression, you should talk to your doctor. There are treatments that can help.

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