Is Depression Defined? An Overview of the Signs, Reasons, Evaluation, and Management
While everyone has felt blue, not everyone has felt the gloom, Depression is a different tale, a cloud that casts a heavy doom. In fact, if you’ve never been blue, Chances are, you don’t have a clue, About living with this mental strife, A complex illness that affects one’s life.
Depression is sneaky, oh so sly, It creeps in quietly, catching you by surprise. It steals your joy, it dims your light, Oh, depression, what a terrible plight! It impacts your spirits, oh yes indeed, And hinders your senses, that’s what we need. Your feelings, your thoughts, your actions too, All influenced by this, it’s true. It dulls the joys we treasure, blocks our bonds so strong, Hinders our imagination, and, at its worst, hope is gone. It brings deep emotional pain, oh yes indeed, Not just to the person, but to those close, indeed. The hurt it causes, oh how it stings, To the person and their family, it brings.
Common Questions & Answers
How do I detect depression?
Depression in adults is characterized by chronic sorrow or emptiness, irritability, overpowering guilt, anxiety, irritation, or anger, appetite changes, inability to focus, and loss of interest in previously loved activities.
Symptoms of depression
If melancholy doesn’t indicate depression, what does? The American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), used by most mental health professionals, diagnoses major depressive disorder (MDD) if you have at least five of the following symptoms most of the day, nearly every day, for at least two weeks.
1. Sadness, hollowness, worthlessness.
2. Lack of enjoyment in work, hobbies, friends, family, and other activities.
3. Sudden hunger or weight fluctuations unrelated to dieting.
3. Unknown weariness or listlessness.
4. Trouble concentrating or deciding.
5. Anxious restlessness such pacing or wringing hands, or moving or speaking slower than Usaul.
6. Insomnia or excessive sleep Suicide or death thoughts often occur.
Depression causes and risk factors.
Nobody knows why some individuals get depressed and others don’t. Sudden depression can have no known cause. It’s commonly known that one depressive episode increases your likelihood of another later in life.
