Mental Disorders

Many people experience depression at various points in their lives. The loss of a loved one, various personal failures or high levels of stress can all lead one to feel unhappy, disappointed or worthless. But when feelings of “the blues” last for several weeks and begin to get in the way of a person’s ability to get by day-to-day, a diagnosis of clinical depression is made.

Clinical depression is a psychiatric illness where the patient experiences severe feelings of sadness, hopelessness and lack of control over an extended period of time. This can be the result of one or more tragic events in the person’s life, brain chemical imbalances, or an outlook on life that is overly negative. If you or someone you know experiences periods of depression interspersed with periods of extreme happiness and joy, you may want to seek information on manic depression, which now goes by the name bipolar affective disorder. Between 5 and 10 percent of people with depression go through both of these stages and are considered bipolar.

Psychological Symptoms of Depression

• Feelings of being helpless or worthless

• Hopeless outlook on life or one’s current situation

• Overpowering feelings of sadness or guilt

• Thinking about death or suicide

• Concentration problems

• Feeling irritable, angry and overreacting

• Feelings of anxiety or anxiety attacks

Physical Symptoms of Depression

• Changes in sleep patterns (insomnia or oversleeping)

• Changes in eating habits (eating more or less)

• Ongoing minor health problems such as headaches, aches and pains or cramps

• Avoidance of social situations

• Feeling tired and listless