There are a great many different types of depression that affect many people in the world. Since depression is no longer a problem with a lot of social stigma attached, people are being diagnosed with various forms of depression all the time. There are a few major types of depression under which there are many subcategories with their own lists of symptoms and treatments. Clinical depression is one of the major forms of depression.
The Basics
Clinical depression is known by a few names which include major depressive disorder and unipolar. It is a form of depression with symptoms like feelings of sadness, melancholia and despair and affects about 10% of all people at some point in life prior to age 40. These feelings go beyond simple sadness and can completely disrupt the life of the person suffering. This type of depression is far deeper than just feeling depressed, the sadness the person feels seems to have no cause and there is no motivation for any sort of activity. According to studies, clinical depression can result in a state of negative thinking that leads to substance abuse.
Clinical depression seems to strike without any cause and is found in twice as many women as men, though the number of male diagnoses seems to be increasing. After age 55 the difference in the sexes seems to disappear and just as many men are hit with clinical depression as women. This mental health issue is known to be one of the leading causes of disability in America and around the world.
Diagnosing Clinical Depression
Many doctors are of the opinion that too many people are being diagnosed with clinical depression because the criteria are very broad. It is possible that people who have less severe types of depression, or depression that has a normal cause, are being diagnosed as clinically depressed by doctors who are not well enough studied in this form. The main criteria for clinical depression are depressed mood and lack of pleasure in life for a period of two weeks or more. Any five of the following criteria for diagnosing clinical depression are expected in conjunction (over a two week period) with the main two and include:
Feelings of overwhelming sadness
Feelings of overwhelming fear
The inability to feel emotion
Emptiness
Decrease in ability to take pleasure in activities
Marked weight loss/gain
Insomnia/hypersomnia
Fatigue
Feelings of guilt or worthlessness
Feelings of isolation, loneliness, helplessness
Difficulty concentrating
Thoughts of death or suicide
Fear of abandonment
These are all symptoms of clinical depression and a person suffering may not have all of them, but if at least five of them are present along with the main two, there is cause for concern. There are other things that can signal clinical depression but are not considered symptoms that count toward diagnosis. These include:
Self loathing
Noted decrease in self esteem
Inattention to personal hygiene
Noise sensitivity
Behavioral changes
Crying jags
Change in time perception
Worry about physical illness
Excessive use of drugs or alcohol
Eating disorders
Self harm
Treating Clinical Depression
Treating clinical depression required medication and counseling. You need the medication to regain and maintain the chemical balance inside your brain. Tests typically show a low level of brain serotonin and norepinephrine which have to be checked by medication. Counseling can help change the behaviors and thought patterns associated with clinical depression and help you live a normal life. Many people suffer from clinical depression for up to a year before they see any improvement without treatment; those who get themselves treated find an improvement within 6 weeks.
