The deepest form of depression is severe major depression that is accompanied by suicidal ideation, self harm, or even psychotic features, where your daily functioning also becomes completely debilitating.
Severe major depression is the worst stage of depression.
And while clinical depression is often viewed through levels of severity, which include (mild, moderate and severe) or progressive worsening phases rather than fixed "stages" of depression, the most dangerous and intense point of depression is marked by extreme functional impairment and crisis.
The key signs of severe depression include complete debilitation, severe emotional numbness or agony and crisis symptoms.
Complete debilitation in severe depression are where basic daily tasks, like showering, getting out of bed, eating or even working feel physically and even mentally impossible.
Severe emotional numbness or agony in severe depression involve intense feelings of worthlessness, crushing guilt and profound hopelessness taking over.
And crisis symptoms of severe depression involve emergence of thoughts of death, suicide, self harm, or in rare cases, psychotic features such as catatonia or delusions.
The common signs of severe depression are physical pain, severe isolation, extreme hopelessness, total loss of function and suicidal thoughts.
Suicidal thoughts include believing there is no escape from the agony, or that loved ones would be better off without you.
Total loss of function includes being unable to get out of bed, eat, bathe or do basic daily tasks.
Extreme hopelessness includes feeling completely empty, numb or convinced that life will never get better.
Severe isolation includes pulling away from all friends, family and support systems.
And physical pain includes experiencing any unexplained aches, severe fatigue, or extreme sleep and weight changes.