这些迹象表明你可能得了抑郁症,该去看医生了

When it's more than just the blues

不仅只是感到悲伤

Feeling down in the dumps every so often is a normal part of life. But when you're gripped by an unrelenting sadness or hopelessness that keeps you from going about your usual routine, it's time to pay attention: it's the hallmark sign of clinical depression, and an estimated 7% of adults will experience it, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Even with this telltale sign in place, it's tough for a depressed person to know if she really has the disease.

生活中时不时的情绪低落是正常的。但当你被无尽的悲伤或绝望笼罩、无法进行正常活动时，你需要当心了：这是临床抑郁症的标志性迹象，据称7%的成年人会患临床抑郁症，美国国家心理卫生研究所表示。即使有了这一迹象，抑郁症患者也很难弄清自己是否患有该疾病。

"Almost all of the symptoms of depression on their own are experienced by everyone at one time or another," explains Jennifer Payne, MD, director of the Women's Mood Disorders Center at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. If you've been dealing with four or more of the following symptoms every day for two weeks, and they've impaired the way you usually function (for example, prevented you from working, being a responsible parent, or seeing friends), it's time to check in with your doctor.

"每个人都曾/会体验抑郁症的所有症状，"医学博士、巴尔的摩约翰霍普金斯大学女性心境障碍中心的主任珍妮弗·佩恩解释道。如果你已连续两周每天都有如下四种或四种以上的症状，且常用机能或已遭损害（比如，阻碍您工作、成为称职的家长或拜访朋友），那么您该去看医生了。

You're eating more (or less) than usual

吃的比往常更多或更少

Depression leaves you withdrawn and checked out, and that can manifest as a loss of appetite. "If your brain is preoccupied with negative thoughts, you may forget to eat or lose interest in cooking or preparing meals," says Yvonne Thomas, PhD, Los Angeles-based psychologist specializing in depression and self-esteem. On the other hand, sometimes the disease kicks in the opposite effect, making you hungry and driving you to overeat. "The mix of emotions that tend to depression-sadness, pessimism about the future, and low self-esteem-can compel you to try to soothe your feelings with food binges," says Thomas.

抑郁症会让你变得要死不活，而食欲不振就是迹象之一。"如果你的大脑充斥着消极的想法，那你可能会忘记吃饭，或者对烹饪、做饭失去兴趣，"专攻抑郁症和自尊的洛杉矶心理学家伊冯娜·托马斯博士说道。另一方面，这种疾病有时候会产生相反的效果，让你特别饿、驱使你大吃大喝。"趋向抑郁的情绪混合--悲伤、对未来的悲观以及自卑--会迫使你大吃大喝以期抚慰心灵。"

You're sleeping too much or too little

睡太多或太少

Some people with depression find themselves snoozing under the covers more; the disengagement and dip in energy make you tired all the time, says Thomas. "Sleeping more is also a way depressed people escape from their sadness; it becomes a refuge," she adds. Others with depression experience restless or interrupted sleep or even insomnia.

有些抑郁症患者发现自己以抑郁症为借口以获得更久的睡眠；能量分散和下降会让你十分疲惫，托马斯说道。"抑郁症患者也会通过多睡觉来逃避悲伤，睡觉成了他们的避难所，"她补充道。其他抑郁症患者会经历睡不安稳或睡眠中断，甚至失眠。