We've all had our bad days or weeks, consequently, depression seems to be the excuse we may use for our moods. Similarly, if we are worrying about a certain event or assignment, anxiety seems to be the scapegoat. At this point, we need to define what exactly depression and anxiety are. There is a fine line between the everyday blues and clinical depression. It is important to understand and recognize the true meaning of depression and anxiety to seek the proper help and to also get off on the right foot towards a brighter future. It is also beneficial to see true definitions of these mental health issues in order to generally assess the severity of your mental health disorder you feel as if you may be suffering from.
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the 4th edition, you must experience at least 5 of the following symptoms in order to be clinically depressed:
(1) depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day, as indicated by either subjective report (e.g., feels sad or empty) or observation made by others (e.g., appears tearful). NOTE : In children and adolescents, irritability may be observed. (2) markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities most of the day, nearly every day (as indicated by either subjective account or observation made by others). (3) significant weight loss when not dieting or weight gain (e.g., a change of more than 5% of body weight in a month), or decrease or increase in appetite nearly every day. NOTE: In children, consider failure to make expected weight gains. (4) insomnia or hypersomnia nearly every day. (5) psychomotor agitation or retardation nearly every day (observable by others, not merely subjective feelings of r...
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...and go back and forth (Swartz 8). Though both disorders are very similar, there is a great distinction between the two. The big difference, that is visible from the information I provided on each disorder, is that depression usually generates more feelings of sadness and despair; anxiety on the other hand brings up feelings of fear or panic. When I was in the earlier stage of my teens, I was clinically depressed, shortly after I was diagnosed with anxiety. It is quite common for one to follow the other. According to a channel for mental health website, "The Healthy Place", 85% of those diagnosed with depression are also diagnosed with anxiety, deeming their nickname the fraternal twins of mood disorders (TheHealthyPlace 7). These disorders come hand in hand, and it is easier to begin tackling them after coming to understand their symptoms and what they entail.
According to the DSM5 major depressive describes a person who is in a depressed mood for most of the day, nearly everyday. The person also has a diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities most of the time. There may be significant weight loss or gain as a result of decrease or increase of appetite, respectively. The person may also experience insomnia or hyper insomnia nearly everyday. There may also be a consistent feeling of fatigue or loss of energy. Usually in major depression, there are feelings of worthlessness or inappropriate guilt. It is also common to have a diminished ability to think, concentrate, or experience indecisiveness. All of these symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. (DSM 5, 160-161)
Depressive disorders take on different forms. There are three common types of depressive disorders. They are major depression, dysthymia, and bipolar disorder. Major depression is characterized by a combination of symptoms that interfere with an individual's ability to work, study, sleep, and eat. Symptoms include but are not limited to the following: persistent sad, anxious, or empty mood, feelings of hopelessness, feelings of guilt, helplessness, worthlessness, decreased energy, fatigue, appetite and/or weight loss, or overeating and weight gain, ...
The effects of depression are not always easy to establish in any particular person. The most common symptom of depression is feeling down. When a person feels down it usually refers to their social or physical state. When one feels down socially, they are referring to their lack of ability to socialize or relate to those surrounding. When one feels down physically it has to do with their lack of energy and motivation. Another symptom of depression is not only having complete lack of energy, but a complete loss for interest in everyday tasks or activities, at one point, made the person happy.
Clinical Depression is a mood disorder in which feelings of sadness, loss, anger, or frustration interfere with everyday life for weeks or longer. Clinical depression results from interactions between brain chemicals and hormones that influence a person's energy level, feelings, sleeping and eating habits, these chemical interactions are linked to many causes such as, a person's family history of illness, biochemical and psychological make-up, prolonged stress, and traumatic life crisis such as death of a loved one, job loss, or divorce (Clinical Depression).
Major depressive disorder is more than just sadness; it is a mood disorder, which is characterized by feelings of hopelessness, depressed mood, and a reduced ability to enjoy life. The symptoms of depression fall into five categories: affective, motivational, cognitive, behavioral, and physical. People suffering from depression may experience several symptoms, for at least two weeks, in any or all of the above categories, depending on personal characteristics and the severity and type of depression. They generally have feelings of sadness, emptiness, pessimism, hopelessness, worthlessness or unreasonable guilt; lack of interest and pleasure in daily activities, reduced energy and vitality. The cognitive ability of the brain is also affected; thinking becomes slower, concentration becomes more difficult, memory lapses and problems with decision making become obvious. Individuals , may have difficulty going to sleep or experience early morning awakenings. Some other patients may feel an excessive need for sleep, and some may be troubled by dreams that carry the depressive tone into sleeping hours, causing abrupt awakening due to distress. Appetite changes are very frequent; a total loss of appetite is common and it is associated with weight loss. The same individuals who oversleep when depressed also tend to overeat. Finally, physical complaints are common and may or may not have a physical basis. Physical symptoms can occur in any part of the body and can include pain (headache, backache), gastrointestinal problems (nausea, stomach pain, diarrhea, and constipation), and neurologic complaints (dizziness, numbness, memory problems) as well as recurrent thoughts of death and contemplation of suicide.
If you have ever been tense before an exam, a date, or a job interview, you have some idea of what anxiety feels like. Increased heart rate, sweating, rapid breathing, a dry mouth, and a sense of dread are common components of anxiety. But episodes of modern anxiety are a normal part of the life for most people. But what anxiety is so intense and long lasting that it impairs a person’s daily functioning is called an anxiety disorder. It is a general term for several disorders that cause apprehension, nervousness, fear, and worrying. These disorders affect how we feel and behave, and they can manifest real physical symptoms. Mild anxiety is vague and unsettling, while severe anxiety can be extremely debilitating, having a serious impact on daily life.
For the diagnosis DSM-IV of major depression the criteria are: 1) a person must express five or more of the following symptoms; depressed mood, reduced level of interest in many activities, considerable change in body weight without any intentional diet, change in appetite, sleep difficulties, agitated or slowed behavior, thought of worthless or guilt, cognitive abilities diminished and frequent thoughts of death or suicide, 2) the symptoms need to persist for at least two weeks, 3) the symptoms must interfere with daily functions, 4) a period of mourning or another disorder does not better explain the major symptoms; when a person meets there criteria for the first time, they are said to have experiences in single major depressive episode and w...
In the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic & Statistical Manual (APA, 2000) the symptoms of depression are: loss of interest or enjoyment in activities; changing in weight and appetite; changes to sleep pattern; loss of energy; feeling worthless or guilty; suicidal thoughts; poor concentration and being either agitated or slowed up.
Of course not everyone has all those symptoms every time. When people are clinically depressed, they have this for weeks, months, and often years. Nearly everyone knows someone who has been severely depressed as 6% of the world's population has had an episode of severe depression like this. Suicide occurs in 15% of depressed people.
... that the anxiety disorder does not progress and become worse. Also anxiety can exist with another mental or physical disorder such as substance abuse, eating disorders, depression and many more. Also in rare cases cancer and heart disease can be accompanied by anxiety disorders. Often people just think about anxiety disorder as just one disorder but anxiety disorder as states before has many different types and each of these different types are characterized by different symptoms.
What is depression? Depression is an illness that can take over a person’s life---it can take their happiness and their will to live. This illness can effect adults, teenagers, and even kids. “Depression is an equal opportunity disorder---- it can affect anyone of any group, any background, any race, any gender, and any age. It is the great leveler of all groups and can take the greatest and the smallest of us all and reduce us to the pain and nothingness that is depression (Nydegger 1)”. Depression is an emotion most people may feel they have experienced, but little do they know it’s just the basic emotions we feel. It is important to identify the symptoms of depression, the types of depression, who can get them and how they manifest, in other to be able to treatment them.
family understand how painful it is and why it's not possible to "snap out of
According to the ADAA American and Depression Association Of America, symptoms of depression and anxiety disorder, "include persistent sad, anxious or "empty" mood feelings of
Depression is a common misconception. People get two terms confused with each other, depression and temporary sadness. Temporary sadness is the feeling you feel after an event of misfortune and makes one feel damaged and devastated inside. You tend to express your misery to society in a much more open way, than someone with depression would, because they are willing to talk about how they feel inside. Depression is a much more commonly used word for the phrase, permanent sadness. Instead of depression being caused by an event of misfortune, depression is an illness that affects your day to day life. Many describe it as being slumped in deep dejection. And unlike temporary sadness, someone who suffers from depression is not for one moment going
Depression isn’t just a state of being, or someone’s mood. There are different types of depression, and each of those types have their own lists of symptoms and treatments, all similar but they have some differences.