Physical symptoms

Reduced appetite

If you suffer from depression you may find that you have less of an appetite than usual. You don't enjoy eating and the food doesn't taste good. If you do eat, it is usually because you feel you have to. You eat too little and can lose a lot of weight, which may mean that you feel tired and short of energy. Some people may overeat and still have cravings.

Pain

If you are depressed you may experience pain. If you already suffer from rheumatism, a bad back or other forms of chronic pain, your pain may be perceived as worse than usual.

Even if you don't normally suffer from pain, you may have:

• Tender muscles and joints
• Stomach aches
• Headaches
• Other aches and pains

It is often the pain that prompts you to go to your family physician. So it is important that he or she considers depression if you have new pains or if existing pains have become worse without any apparent physical reason.

On the other hand, pain and other chronic symptoms increase the risk of depression. We therefore advise you to consider depression if you have physical symptoms that do not have any apparent explanation.

Tension

You find it hard to relax both physically and mentally. Your thoughts go round and round in circles and you cannot make decisions. Your muscles are tense and may feel tender. Even if you are tired you are unable to rest.