Depression

Depression is a mood disorder experienced by many people ranging from mild to severe at different stages. As you will see in the indicators below clinical depression should not be confused with occasional "blue" moods, pre-occupation or times when things just don't go well.

Many in the medical community believe depression is related to chemical imbalance or other biological origin. The other significant consideration is that depression results from intense or prolonged negative life experiences. Feelings of anger, sadness and confusion commonly accompany unexpected or continuous struggles with life issues.

The following are characteristics often associated with clinical depression:

marked sadness
decreased appetite
decreased motivation
lack of concentration
insomnia
excessive sleeping (especially daytime)
withdrawal from social activities
preoccupation with feelings of low self worth
sudden and repetitive crying spells
feelings of hopelessness
isolation
suicidal thoughts

Help for depressed feelings usually involves a combination of remaining involved, diet, exercise (very important), spiritual stimulation, counseling and possibly conferring with a physician about antidepressants.

A key to evaluating depression and most emotional concerns is to ask yourself two questions.

• How often do I feel this way? (Frequency)
• How long does the feeling last? (Duration)

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