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Depressed Spirits and Major Depressive Disorder

Everyone gets depressed. When bad things happen in life, we naturally become a little down emotionally. Losing people close to us, permanently or temporarily is painful. When work is stressful or when expectations are too high, we can tend to shut down and shut out the world. When we do not perform to others' expectations, or to our own expectations for ourselves, that lack of performance can also cause some feelings of guilt and sadness. Not all cases of depression must be treated. It is inevitable for people to feel sad. The danger comes when that sadness does not ever lift.

Symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder

The most significant symptom of depression that requires treatment is the length of time that the symptoms exist. You probably do not have a disorder if you do not experience several depressive symptoms that last for two weeks or longer. Even having one or two symptoms for that duration does not necessarily signal a serious problem. The following are potential symptoms of major depressive disorder:

1. You feel depressed. Obviously, to potentially have a depressive disorder, you will feel sad and down.

2. You don't enjoy things that you have always enjoyed. Depression can take all of the pleasure out of enjoyable activities and company.

3. You notice a great change in appetite and weight. Sometimes depression will lead a person to lose all interest in eating. Sometimes a depressed person will try to use food to satisfy their empty feeling.

4. You do not sleep an appropriate amount. Too much sleeping can dull the pain of depression, but sometimes the sadness is too severe to allow for much sleeping at all.

5. Others are noticing changes in you. If you are not able to hide your feelings, chances are that the depression is taking over.

6. You are excessively tired.

7. You feel worthless or guilty. The combination of symptoms can lead a depressed person to feel very negatively about themselves and their ability to perform.

8. You cannot concentrate or make decisions.

9. You have thoughts of death and suicide.

More than half of the above symptoms will be present in a person with major depressive disorder. Again, these symptoms will be present for more than two weeks at a time and there will be no apparent cause. If a person knows why he or she is sad, then they probably do not have major depressive disorder. If the symptoms are affecting daily activities and routines, psychiatric help is in order.

Different Faces of Depression

It is difficult to say how a person with major depressive disorder will be treated. Depression takes many different forms, even though the symptoms tend to be contained in those listed above. Sometimes there are psychotic tendencies that go along with the depression. Sometimes feelings of the person will be only sad, but sometimes they will lift, depending on circumstances. Sometimes, depression only hits a person at certain seasons of the year or in certain seasons of life. Depending on these things, treatments will vary. The good news is that there are treatments for major depressive disorder.

Frances, Allen MD and First, Michael B. MD. Your Mental Health: A Layman's Guide to

the Psychiatrist's Bible. New York: Scribner, 1998.