Psychological symptoms:

• Continuous low / ‘blue' mood or sadness
  
• Feelings of hopelessness and helplessness
  
• Low self-esteem, ·tearfulness
  
• Feelings of guilt
  
• Feeling irritable and intolerance of others
  
• Poor motivation and poor interest / difficulty making decisions
  
• Lack of enjoyment
  
• Suicidal thoughts / thoughts of harming someone else
  
• Anxiety / obsessive worries, acts, ruminations, or images
  
• Reduced sex drive
  

Physical Symptoms:

• Slowed movement / speech
  
• Change in appetite / weight (usually decreased but sometimes increased) / constipation
  
• Unexplained aches and pains
  
• Lack of energy / lack of interest in sex
  
• Menstrual disturbance
  

Social symptoms:

• Poor work performance
  
• Reduced social activities and contact with friends
  
• Reduced hobbies and interests
  
• Difficulties in home and family life
  

Some of the symptoms associated with the manic cycle in bipolar disorder are:

• Abnormal or excessive elation
  
• Unusual irritability
  
• Decreased need for sleep
  
• Grandiose notions
  
• Increased talking
  
• Racing thoughts
  
• Increased sexual desire
  
• Markedly increased energy
  
• Poor judgment
  
• Inappropriate social behaviour
  

Thankyou for the information on depression Heidi, it was very helpful.

I have just been recently diagnosed with depression and prescribed Citalapram to help with it.

Just as you described, I didnt realise that I was suffering from depression as I was just getting on with life as best I could and somehow managing. I visited my GP for another reason and he simply asked me one question and before I knew it, I was crying while he handed me a box of tissues.

It has been a difficult year for me and my husband with my health, his job worries and of course money troubles and its funny but I honestly thought I was coping OK, although I never really wanted to go out, couldnt be bothered to have conversations with people and was generally becoming introverted.

Now that the tablets are working, I find that I can see past all the bad things and focus on what is important in life. For example I am now more in love with my husband than I had ever been. We have a much better relationship and enjoy each others company again. I can be at work, think of him and my heart will do a somersault - and that hasnt happened for a while. Work is also not so much of a chore anymore. I am now beginning to be able to hold conversations with people and be genuinely interested in what they have to say.

Life has been tough and I have been very ill and still continue to be every now and then and it is a worry and it is also a constant drain as we never know how I am going to feel from one day to the next. But I am now realising all the love and support I have around me and with the backing of the doctors, life is turning a corner that I never thought was needed.

For all those people suffering similar, hang in there. There is life at the end of the tunnel and life can get better. There are people out there who will help you and you can get support, you just need to realise that you need it.

I'm so pleased you found the information helpful Christie, and I'm also pleased to read that you are doing well and have been able to resume your life back to some kind of normaility. Having depression along side being ill does make things a lot tougher. It does creep up on you I think, and we often deny to ourselves as well as others, that we aren't coping. I myself went through more or less the same thing as you, so I know how difficult and life changing it can be.

It's very brave of you to talk about your depression, and also very admirable. I hope it will inspire others who have depression, or those who are very low, as they can see how you coped with it and turned your life around. You have shown that you can get back control over your life in a very positive and encouraging way. Thank you so very much for sharing this with us.