The core signs and symptoms such as know mood, pessimism, self-criticism, and retardation or agitation seem to have been universally accepted. Other signs and symptoms that have been regarded as intrinsic to the depressive syndrome include autonomic symptoms, constipation, difficulty in concentration, slow thinking, and anxiety.
In 1953, expert listed 29 medical manifestations of autonomic disturbance, among which then most common in manic depression were hot flashes, tachycardia, dyspnea, weakness, head pains, coldness and numbness of the extremities, frontal headaches and dizziness.
There was reported a high frequency of medical symptoms, generally attributed to autonomic imbalance, among manic depressives.
Normally there were four different forms of complaints from patients:
- An unpleasant emotional state
- A changed attitude towards life
- Somatic symptoms of a specifically depressive nature
- Somatic symptoms not typical of depression
Although depression is generally considered an affective disorder, it should be emphasized that a subjective change in mood is not reported by all depressed patients. As in many other disorders, the absence of a significant clinical feature does not rule out the diagnosis of that disorder.
The Symptoms of Depression
