Depression

According to the American Psychiatric Association, depression is a common and treatable medical illness that lasts a minimum two weeks and can manifest in many forms. It typically causes extended feelings of sadness, and can decrease a person’s ability to function in their day to day life. Some physical symptoms include stomach pains, headaches, disrupted or excessive sleep, and motor control difficulty. Some people report an inability to connect to others, lacking both a desire to socialize that result in isolation tendencies. 

Some symptoms include:

• Feeling sad or having a depressed mood

• Exhaustion, loss of energy or increased fatigue

• Apathy

• Difficulty concentrating or making decisions

• Thoughts of death or suicide

Symptoms must last at least two weeks for a diagnosis of depression. To diagnose depression accurately, both a psychiatric evaluation and physical tests need to be carried out in order to determine whether or not the symptoms are associated with depression or another physical disorder.  Treatment for depression often utilizes one or a combination of talk therapy, a psychiatric evaluation that leads to medication, and healthier lifestyle alterations.

Depression can also lead to negative thoughts, including those of suicide.  If you or someone you know needs somebody to talk to right now, you can reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 24/7 at: 1-800-273-8255

Note: Jaclyn Yuki Schlanger, M.S., AMFT is not responsible for the content, claims or representations of the listed sites.