Depression

• Thoughts or suggestions of death or suicide
• Feelings of guilt or worthlessness
• Lack of physical and mental energy
• Lack of interest or pleasure in most activities
• Too much or too little sleep
• Rapid mood swings
• Argumentativeness
• Problems concentrating, making decisions, or solving problems
• Trouble making or keeping friends
• Absence of goals in life
• Trouble finishing projects or doing even simple tasks
• Change in appetite: rapid weight loss or weight gain
• Upset stomach, headache, or numbness in parts of the body
• Hyperactivity
• Slowness of speech
• Failure to pick up after oneself
• Hallucinations (strange, unreal perceptions)
• Pessimism (always expecting the worst)

Sometimes a person suffering from a mental illness shows it by feeling physically sick.

Cindy's mother began to worry when her daughter complained constantly about her health. After nearly six weeks of poor school attendance and fatigue, Cindy's mother took her to a doctor. When the doctor could find no physical reason for Cindy's ailments, he sug gested that she see a therapist. He believed Cindy was suffering from depression. Her mental condition was causing her to be physically ill.