When it comes to treating depression, the best course of action is a treatment program that is initiated before a depressive illness becomes too severe. Therefore, it is important for a person to understand and appreciate the telltale signs of depression.

When a discussion turns to the signs of depression, many people slough off the talk, concluding that they do not have to worry about the signs of depression let alone the disease of depression. In point of fact, a majority of people will experience at least one major depressive episode at least once in their lifetimes. Therefore, it is important for everyone to understand at least on a basic level the signs of depression.

One of the major signs of depression is a sudden lack of energy. A depressed person will find his or her self feeling lethargic nearly all of the time. Coupled with the feeling of lethargy as one of the signs of depression, a person afflicted with depression will find his or her sleeping habits distorted.

As signs of depression go, the distortion of sleeping habits of a person who is depressed can take to divergent forms. On the one hand, a person may find his or her self sleeping far more than had historically been normal in his or her life. On the other hand, a person afflicted with depression may find his or her self having a hard time to sleep. (Lack of sleep can further aggravate a depressive illness. While sleeping more than normal can impact a person's life on a number of levels, it will not necessarily directly aggravate a depressive disease. However, as has been mentioned, being unable to sleep in a sound and appropriate manner will accelerate the symptoms of a depressive illness significantly.)

Another of the signs of depression is a change in appetite. As with sleep patterns, the signs of depression associated with appetite can take two very divergent forms. On the one hand, there are people who are suffering from depression who reduce their intake of food markedly. At the other end of the spectrum, one of the signs of depression can be overeating, particularly when a person is not actually hungry.

One of the signs of depression is a growing lack of attention to personal hygiene and grooming. A person who is depressed loses interest in his or her personal presentation. In addition, these people sometimes feel that they simply lack the energy to work their way through their typical hygienic and grooming routines.

The signs of depression also include a person losing interest in activities and pastimes that he or she once enjoyed. One of the signs of depression related to loss of interested in pastimes and activities is isolation. A depressed person oftentimes will isolate his or her self from friends and family members for extended periods of time.

One of the signs of depression includes disorganization. A person who is depressed may seem scattered and absentminded. That person may also become less than diligent in the management of his or her finances.