Overcome Depression Without Medication 7 Ways to Overcome Depression Knowing the facts will assist you to overcome depression. Depression could be a medical condition, not a short-lived reaction to traditional grief and/or discouragement. Depression Symptoms A major depressive episode is outlined as having 5 or a lot of the subsequent symptoms on a daily (or most days) basis for a minimum of 2 weeks: Depression or irritability Sleep problems (i.e., sleeping an excessive amount of or too little; sleeping primarily throughout the day) Change in interests (i.e., not being fascinated by what you once enjoyed) or low motivation Excessive guilt or a distorted self-image Significantly reduced energy and/or a shift in self-care (i.e., not showering anymore) Concentration is perceptibly worse (i.e., sharp decline in grades or performance) Appetite changes (i.e., ingestion of an exces...