What is Depression)?
Everyone occasionally feels blue or sad, but these feelings are usually fleeting and pass within a couple of days.
When a person has clinical depression it interferes with daily life, normal functioning, and causes pain for both the person with the disorder and those who care about him/her.
Depression is more than just a feeling upset or sad. It’s not a character flaw or a sign of personal weakness. Just like you can’t “wish away” diabetes, heart disease, you can’t make depression go away by trying to "snap out of it."
A person may be clinically depressed if, for more than 2 weeks, they experience some of the symptoms listed below:
- Persistent sad, down, miserable or "empty" feeling
- Loss of interest in activities or hobbies once pleasurable
- Reduced self-esteem and self-confidence
- Feelings of guilt and worthlessness
- Bleak and pessimistic view of the future
- Ideas or acts of self-harm or suicide
- Insomnia, early morning wakefulness or excessive sleeping
- Disturbed appetite and increase or decrease in weight
- Decreased libido
- Reduced energy leading to fatigue and diminished activity
- Reduced concentration and memory