Depression Learning

Depression FAQ

Depression is one of the most prevalent mental and physical health issues common to the general population between adults, young adults, and children. People who have a question about depression should have information available to them. If you or a loved one is depressed you should check your symptoms with those listed on a depression fact sheet. Many people have questions about depression. You may have questions such as these posted below:

What are the symptoms of clinical depression?

If you think you might be depressed, it would be a good idea to compare your state of being with the symptoms listed on a depression FAQ sheet. Clinical depression is also known as major depression disorder. The diagnosis of clinical depression is given if the symptoms of depression last for 2 weeks or longer. For the health care professional to render a diagnosis of clinical depression, the patient must exhibit at least 5 of the 9 major indicators for depression that are listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth Edition (DSM IV). The common symptoms of clinical or major depression are:

• Sadness, crying, or depressed mood – children and adolescents may become irritable
• Reduced interest in things and activities that once gave pleasure
• Decrease or increase in appetite – unintentional weight loss or weight gain of at least 5 percent of body weight
• Insomnia or hypersomnia (sleeping too much)
• Psychomotor agitation (shaky or jerking actions) – psychomotor retardation – (slow movements, appears lethargic) nearly every day
• Loss of energy or fatigue daily or almost daily
• Inability to concentrate, indecisiveness
• Focuses on death, talks about suicide, making plans to commit suicide

How are women affected by depression?

If you are a woman who is experiencing symptoms of depression, check with a depression FAQ sheet and see if what you are experiencing is on the list for depression. Depression affects the well-being of women. Many women experience chronic fatigue, weight loss or weight gain, sleep disturbances, mood swings, sadness, crying, feelings of hopelessness, and other symptoms of depression common to all adults, children, adolescents, and young adults. Women are twice as likely to suffer from dysthemia (major depression disorder or clinical depression) as men. It is believed that factors such as reproduction, hormones, genetics, dysfunctional family life, relationships, personality characteristics, and biological factors all have an influence on female depression.

How does depression affect senior citizens?

If you are a senior citizen and you feel you might be depressed, it would be a good idea to compare your symptoms with a depression FAQ sheet. The elderly population does get depressed, just like anyone else. Depression is not “part” of getting old; this is just a myth that sounds real. The elderly often experience more losses than the rest of the population. Wives lose husbands, and husbands lose wives to death. The elderly are often more fragile and sick. Often depression in older people stems from a sense of hopelessness of their situation. For instance, an elderly man who lost his wife and is dealing with ill health may feel hopeless about his situation and he becomes clinically depressed. Depression affects the elderly in much the same way it affects everyone else.

There are other types of depression, other than major depression disorder. Bipolar depression, for instance is a mood disorder. Bipolar depression was once called manic depression. The person who has bipolar depression may exhibit significant highs and lows in their moods. Bipolar usually appears at the adolescent period of life and continues through the person’s lifetime.

Related Depression Posts

• Depressive Disorder
• Severe Depression
• What is Depression?
• Common Depression Symptoms
• Top 5 Teen Depression Reasons
• Top 15 Depression Check
• Top 10 Signs of Depression in Children