DIAGNOSIS
Depressed
mood exists on a spectrum from saying good-bye to a friend
to mourning the loss of a loved one to being overwhelmed
by a traumatic event. Often depression exists without any
obvious reason or trigger. Depression is not just a form
of 'extreme sadness,' it is a disorder that affects the
brain and the body, affecting the consciousness, thinking,
and behavior in the mind, and the immune system and peripheral
nervous system in the body. The word 'disorder' is included
in the definition of 'depressive disorder' because it signifies
that the person becomes unable to function in terms of personal
and work responsibilities.
There
are several disorders which share traits with depression,
such as manic-depressive (bipolar) disorder, normal bereavement
or grief (e.g., following the death or loss of a loved one),
postpartum depression, seasonal affective disorder, and
dysthymia.
The
medical definition of depression is a sustained abnormality
in a person's mood or feelings of despair, hopelessness,
and self-hatred. A depressive episode is defined as a period
of time lasting at least two weeks in which a person feels
depressed mood or an inability to experience any pleasure,
accompanied by at least five of the following: changes in
sleep, loss of interest, feelings of guilt, loss of energy,
inability to concentrate, loss of appetite, slowing of the
reflexes and movement, and thoughts of suicide. Unlike a
passing sad mood, depression is called a disorder because
it interferes with ones normal functioning in everyday life.
The formal diagnostic criteria are described in the DSM-IV.
Depression
can occur at any age, though the average onset is during
the second decade of life. Different people can have very
different courses of depression. Most commonly, people with
untreated depression experience episodes of depression that
come and go, increasing in frequency with age.
