What are the signs of mild depression?

Written by Pang Ji Cheng
Psychiatry and Psychology
Updated on February 04, 2025
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Signs of mild depression may also include a gloomy mood, an inability to feel joy, a sorrowful facial expression, and often downturned corners of the mouth. The head may be tilted forward with a downward gaze, and there might be fewer changes in posture. Patients may experience sleep disturbances, commonly having trouble falling asleep, waking repeatedly at night, and still being in the sleep process when waking up in the morning. Appetite reduction may not be very noticeable. Mood variations occur during the day, often with a worse mood in the evening compared to the morning. There is no significant slowing down of movement, but the emotional state of the patient is often poor. Some patients may experience symptoms of autonomic nervous system dysfunction, such as dizziness, headaches, and bodily discomfort, which are indicative of mild depression.

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Written by Pang Ji Cheng
Psychiatry and Psychology
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Symptoms of depression

The symptoms of depression almost always include persistent low mood throughout most of the day, and patients generally lack interest or pleasure in all activities. Patients may exhibit psychomotor agitation or retardation, and experience fatigue, weakness, and feelings of inadequacy. They may feel that their lives are worthless and meaningless, have feelings of self-reproach or guilt, and suffer from poor concentration and indecisiveness. Recurrent thoughts or behaviors of suicide may occur, and some patients may even make specific plans for suicide. Therefore, these are the primary symptoms of depression. Some patients may present primarily with physical symptoms, such as dizziness, headaches, palpitations, frequent or urgent urination, and gastrointestinal discomfort. It is important to conduct relevant examinations to avoid misdiagnosis.

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Psychiatry and Psychology
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How to self-rescue from depression

Patients with depression can self-help through self-adjustment or seek help from a doctor. Clinically, the method of self-adjustment mainly involves exercise, which is also called behavioral activation training in psychology. Exercise can relax the muscles throughout the body. Additionally, exercise can stimulate the brain to release the "happiness element" endorphins, which have a significant improving effect on depression and anxiety. Other methods include venting and shifting attention. Venting typically involves expressing feelings through spoken or written words to others, especially close friends and family. By expressing these feelings, depressive emotions can also be articulated. Shifting attention, clinically, involves engaging in personal interests such as painting, fishing, or listening to music, which can increase pleasure and enhance motivation. Alternatively, seeking help from a doctor usually involves psychotherapy and medication, which often yield good results.

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What should I do about depression?

Once diagnosed with depression clinically, it is necessary to optimize and grade the treatment based on the severity of the patient's condition. Particularly for patients with moderate to severe depression, clinical doctors primarily consider pharmacotherapy, especially drugs that improve neurochemicals like serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain. The first-line medications recommended are serotonin reuptake inhibitors. In addition, during the medication process, it is important to ensure adequate dosage, full treatment duration, and systematic standardized treatment throughout the course of the disease. Additionally, in terms of psychological and physical therapies, cognitive-behavioral therapy is predominant in psychological treatment. It includes helping patients identify emotions, thoughts, behaviors, and effectively reconstructing systems to achieve therapeutic goals. For physical therapy options, repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation, light therapy, and electroconvulsive therapy can be considered. (Please follow professional medical advice for medication usage.)

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Psychiatry and Psychology
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How long does it take for depression to get better?

The treatment of depression is generally divided into three stages: acute phase treatment, continuation phase treatment, and maintenance phase treatment. The complete recovery from depression depends on the individual characteristics of the patient. The acute phase treatment usually lasts one to three months, mainly focusing on controlling the symptoms related to depression. Additionally, during the continuation phase treatment, the medication period generally lasts four to nine months, and its main goal is to maintain the stability of the patient's condition and prevent relapse of the disease. As for the maintenance phase treatment, the duration of treatment is to be determined. Typically, the duration is one to two years after the first onset, three to five years after the second onset, and for patients who have had more than three episodes, it is recommended to maintain a low-dose medication treatment to prevent recurrence of the disease.

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Can someone with mild depression go to work?

Patients with mild depression can go to work. Those with mild depression may exhibit lighter symptoms such as mood decline, fatigue, and decreased interest. Often, patients may have difficulty sleeping; however, their social functions or most other functions are generally unaffected, with only minor impacts on their work and social activities. If patients are functionally capable of handling their jobs, depressive symptoms can be improved through behavioral training. Therefore, in clinical practice, patients with mild depression are encouraged to continue working, which further activates their energy and motivation, enhancing their positivity and initiative, and improving treatment outcomes. Additionally, psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy can also achieve good therapeutic effects for patients with mild depression. Systematic and standard treatments should be continued to ultimately reach clinical recovery.