Submitted on Wednesday January 23rd, 2013
We all get the blues now and then. But depression is different. It is more than a passing mood. Depression is actually a biochemical imbalance in the brain. It's not something you can just "snap out of." It requires treatment.
In general, there are nine symptoms of depression. If a person experiences four or more of these symptoms every day, for most of the day, over a two-week period, medical professionals would call it "major depression":
- Feelings of sadness, which may or may not include crying spells
- Loss of interest or pleasure in normal activities
- Changes in appetite leading to a 5% weight loss or weight gain
- Slowed speech, slowed reactions, slowed movements
- Changes in sleep habits
- Confused or distracted thinking
- Fatigue
- Feelings of worthlessness or guilt
- Frequent thoughts of death, dying, or suicide