Depression is a medical condition and it can be treated.

It feels and looks different from person to person. Learn what some of the symptoms can be.

What does depression feel like?

Depression may cause you to feel sad, lose interest in activities that you enjoy, withdraw from others, or have less energy. The two most common symptoms of depression are:

• Feeling sad or hopeless nearly every day for at least 2 weeks.
• Losing interest in or not getting pleasure from most daily activities that you used to enjoy, and feeling this way nearly every day for at least 2 weeks.

The daily activities that you used to do may change and you may experience any of the following:

• Sleep too much or not enough, which may cause you to feel tired all the time.
• Worry that people don’t like you or feel guilt for no reason.
• Have a hard time making decisions, remembering things, and focusing.
• Feel more or less hungry than usual, causing weight gain or loss.

Try this tool to help understand whether the symptoms you are experiencing might be due to depression. The tool is not for diagnosis, but it can help you better understand what you’re experiencing. It can be a helpful tool when talking to someone like a care provider or doctor.

There are supports to help you feel better.

Thinking about death or suicide is a serious symptom of depression. If you or someone you care about talks about feeling helpless or is showing warning signs of suicide, find help right away. Call the BC Crisis Line at 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433), or dial 9-8-8 for the national suicide crisis line.