Many people don’t realize that clinical depression symptoms can include things like headache, neck pains, shoulder aches and pains, and more.  This is particularly surprising if you are of the opinion that depression is “all in your head” (whatever that means!).  Depression is a real physical illness of the body.  Yes, it focuses on the brain.  But the brain is a physical organ:  approximately 3 lbs of tissue that serves as the control center for your entire life.

In the stages of depression, the body can be affected in different ways.  In the more vegetative stages of depression the metabolism slows down, there may be rapid weight gain, and a person feels like his or her energy is completely gone.  Other stages of depression can include “normal” functioning at work and at home, but with very little enjoyment of any part of it.  In the stages of depression resulting from post traumatic stress disorder symptoms, a person mail feel able to function but numb.

But there can be neck pains, shoulder pains, and other aches during most stages of depression.  Think of them as reminders to take depression seriously and follow the well-travelled path of treatment.