WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF
CLINICAL DEPRESSION?
If someone experiences most of these symptoms for more than two weeks, there
is a good chance they are suffering from a clinical depression:
- Feeling worthless,
helpless or hopeless
- Loss of interest or
pleasure
- Change in appetite
- Sleep disturbances
- Decreased energy or
fatigue
- Sense of worthlessness
or guilt
- Poor concentration or
difficulty making decisions
- Excessively high or
elated mood
- Unreasonable optimism
or poor judgement
- Hyperactivity or
racing thoughts
- Decreased sleep
- Extremely short
attention span
- Rapid shifts to rage
or sadness
- Irritability
- Increased isolation
- Increased alcohol or
drug use
- Increased sexual
promiscuity
WHAT IS CLINICAL
DEPRESSION?
Clinical depression is a medical illness similar to pneumonia that even the
strongest person cannot overcome without treatment. Clinical depression is
similar to heart disease and cancer in that all of us have a susceptibility
to each. If we have a family history of one of these illnesses, our
susceptibility increases. This explains how some develop a clinical
depression only after extraordinary stressors and others develop clinical
depression seemingly out of the blue. Clinical depression is a very common
illness that affects approximately 3-5% of the population at any one time.
There is a 20% chance of having an episode of clinical depression at some
point in one's life. The percentages are similar for the general population and
college students.
IS CLINICAL DEPRESSION
TREATABLE?
Clinical depression is readily treatable with counseling and/or medication.
Medication can correct the chemical imbalance (low levels of brain serotonin
and norepinephrine) that is found in people with symptoms consistent with
clinical depression. Unfortunately, fifty percent of people who have clinical
depression never get help and suffer silently. Untreated, the average
clinical depression can last 9-12 months. With treatment, people often report
significant relief within 4-6 weeks.
