Depression

Depression and anxiety are experienced by almost one third of lupus patients. Clinical depression is different than the occasional sadness that washes over us and is a prolonged, unpleasant, and disabling condition. The characteristics of depression are feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, general sadness, and a loss of interest in daily activities. However, it is not limited to mental or emotional signs, but can manifest physically, leading to changes in appetite, interrupted sleep, headaches, indigestion, and loss of sexual drive, among others. Patients are considered clinically depressed when they experience symptoms which last for several weeks, enough to disrupt their daily lives.