Depression
Major Depressive Disorder · Persistent Depressive Disorder
If you are having thoughts of harming yourself, please reach out now. Call Tele-MANAS on 14416 or KIRAN on 1800-599-0019 — free, confidential, 24/7 — or go to your nearest hospital emergency room.
What is it?
Depression is more than sadness, and it is not a mood that willpower can shift. It is a persistent state of low mood and loss of interest that lasts for weeks or longer, and that changes how a person thinks, sleeps, eats, and functions day to day. People often describe it less as feeling sad and more as feeling flat, heavy, or emptied out — unable to care about things that used to matter.
It is one of the most common mental health conditions in the world, and one of the most treatable. It also has a habit of convincing the person experiencing it that it is permanent, or that they are simply a weak or lazy person. Neither is true, and both are symptoms rather than facts.
Common signs & symptoms
- Low mood most of the day, most days, for two weeks or more
- Loss of interest or pleasure in things that used to be enjoyable
- Fatigue and low energy that rest doesn’t fix
- Changes in sleep — sleeping far more or far less than usual, or waking very early
- Changes in appetite or weight
- Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
- Persistent feelings of worthlessness, guilt, or being a burden on others
- Physical symptoms with no clear medical cause — body aches, headaches, digestive trouble
- Thoughts of death, self-harm, or suicide
Depression does not always look like sadness. In India it very often presents physically — persistent tiredness, aches, or stomach complaints that bring someone to a general physician long before anyone mentions mental health. Irritability, rather than low mood, is also a common presentation, particularly in men and in adolescents.
What it is not
Sadness is not depression. Grief after a loss, a low period after a setback, or a difficult few weeks are normal human responses, and they usually lift as circumstances change or time passes. Depression is distinguished by how long it lasts, how much it affects functioning, and the fact that it often persists even when nothing in particular is wrong.
It is also not a character flaw, a lack of gratitude, or a failure of discipline. And a person can be depressed while still going to work, holding a conversation, and appearing entirely fine to the people around them — being functional is not evidence of being well.
When to seek help
If low mood or loss of interest has been present most of the day, most days, for two weeks or more, and is affecting your work, relationships, or ability to look after yourself, it is worth speaking to a professional. You do not need to wait until it becomes unbearable, and you do not need to be certain it is depression before asking.
If you are having thoughts of harming yourself or ending your life, treat it as urgent. Call a helpline today or go to a hospital emergency room. These thoughts are a symptom, they are more common than most people realise, and they can be treated.
Screening tools clinicians use
Clinicians commonly use standardised instruments such as the PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire) as an initial screener for depression, alongside a full clinical interview. These are administered and interpreted by a professional and are not meant for self-diagnosis — a score on a questionnaire is a starting point for a conversation, not a diagnosis.
How to get help
This page is for general awareness and is not a diagnostic tool. Only a qualified professional can diagnose depression. This platform does not provide emergency or diagnostic services — see our full Disclaimer.