It’s normal to experience intense emotions, especially when you’re under stress or going through a big life change — like a death in the family or moving to a new place. But if you notice a major negative shift in your mood and there’s no clear reason why, you could be depressed.

Common signs of depression

The first sign of depression is usually a feeling that things you normally enjoy aren’t interesting or fun anymore. You might not want to see your friends, go to school, or do much of anything.

Depression often comes with intense sadness, but not always — you might feel more angry or irritable than sad. Maybe you find yourself snapping at people, getting annoyed at every little thing, or even getting into fights. It’s also common to experience mood swings between anger and sadness.

 Other common signs of depression include:

• Feeling hopeless. It feels like things will never improve, and it’s hard to imagine ever being happy

• Trouble concentrating. You might find yourself zoning out at school, even if you’re normally a good student

• Feeling bad about yourself. You have a lot of negative thoughts about yourself, and making mistakes or getting criticized feels way worse than usual

• Low energy. You’re tired all the time and struggle to get out of bed

• Trouble making decisions. Even small choices, like what to wear to school, might feel overwhelming

• Difficulty connecting with friends. It might feel like even your closest friends don’t understand you, and you have a hard time hanging out with them

• Changes in weight or eating habits. You might gain or lose weight, or you want to eat a lot more or less than usual

• Stomachaches and headaches. You get them more often than you used to, and there’s no medical reason why

• Thinking about or attempting suicide. Depression can make you feel like you don’t want to be alive

You can be diagnosed with depression if you experience several of these symptoms most of the time, and they have lasted for at least two weeks.

Different kinds of depression

There are actually several kinds of depression. Here’s how the kinds of depression are different from each other:

Major depressive disorder

This is usually what people mean when they say “depression.” Major depressive disorder has intense symptoms. Episodes usually come and go, with each one lasting at least two weeks.

Persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia)

Dysthymia has the same symptoms as major depressive disorder, but they are milder. It also lasts much longer — you experience symptoms for at least a year, and they don’t go away for more than two months at a time.

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) 

In PMDD, you experience severe depression in the week before your period starts. The rest of the time, you don’t have symptoms. Learn more about PMDD on childmind.org.

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)

In SAD, you feel depressed only during certain seasons or times of year. Most people with SAD have symptoms in the fall and winter, then feel better in the spring and summer.

What to do if you’re depressed

When you’re depressed, it can feel like nothing will help, but there are actually a lot of effective treatments for depression. Treatment is usually a combination of therapy and antidepressant medication called SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors). A mental health professional can help you figure out what support works best for you.

If you think you might be depressed, start by telling someone that you think you need help — talking to a parent, teacher, trusted counselor, or even a close friend can be the first step to feeling better.