Almost everyone gets the blues from time to
time - that feeling of sadness or grief that usually results from unpleasant
life experiences.
While many people refer to the blues as depression, however, true clinical depression is as different from the blues as pneumonia is from a head cold.
Blues and Sadness
Blues is a temporary and usually normal reaction
to stressful life situations. Most cases don't involve physical symptoms, loss
of self-esteem, or suicidal thoughts, and the negative state usually passes
within a few hours or days.
Similarly, sadness is an appropriate reaction to bereavement, financial and personal problems, the realization that life is finite, and the symptoms of serious disease. But sadness becomes depression when it continues for weeks or months and interferes with everyday living.
Symptoms of Depression
To be clear, depression is an intense, pervasive and
long-lasting disorder of mood that attacks the body as well as the mind, often
resulting in serious problems in work, social, and physical functioning.
Symptoms of depression often include disturbances with sleep, appetite and body
weight, energy, concentration, and sexual functioning.
There is frequently excessive guilt, feelings of worthlessness, loss of interest or pleasure in activities, and, in severe cases, thoughts of, or attempts, at suicide. Unfortunately, some people don't recognize depression for the serious illness it is. They think of it as a personality flaw, a sign of weakness, a character defect, or, perhaps, a temporary blue mood.
Clinical Depression is an Illness
The fact is, clinical depression is an illness, not a
weakness or a passing blue mood. Depressed people cannot simply "snap out
of it" or just "pull themselves together," any more than a
diabetic can merely snap out of a blood sugar imbalance. And, without appropriate
treatment, symptoms can last for months or even years.
Some depressions are the result of a chemical imbalance and may only be treated by anti-depressant medication. Some require psychotherapy, and still others a combination of methods.
Treating Clinical
Depression
The good news is that more than
eighty percent of depression sufferers can be treated successfully.
If you or someone you care about is depressed, seek help now by contacting
your family doctor or a qualified mental health specialist at (773)
614-3201
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