Well, you might have heard from people complaining about anxiety and depression. But have you heard of clinical depression? Certainly, every one of us must know about this serious mental illness. However, don’t panic. With the basic knowledge of the signs of clinical depression and the approach to diagnosing and treating it, the condition is curable.
Thus, in the blog post, we can learn about what clinical depression is all about, how it is different from the regular depression we rant about, the symptoms to watch, and the best treatment methods to cure it.
What is clinical depression?
It is a clinically diagnosed severe mental disorder that has a huge and serious impact on daily life. Also referred to as major depressive disorder (MDD) by doctors and psychiatrists, this condition is characterized by a depressed mood that persists for a long period affecting sleep and cognitive skills in a series of episodes.
The difference between depression and clinical depression
In general, when an individual faces an unfavorable situation, he may feel sad or depressed for the time being. And will carry it forward for more than two or three weeks to months. But in the case of clinical depression, the individual shall experience a sad mood or depressed state for more than two weeks and it persists every day for months or years. On the other hand, the latter is always characterized by chronic episodes that occur frequently and persistently.
Depending upon the cause, major depressive disorder can be grouped into different types, like seasonal, prenatal or postpartum, atypical, melancholic, psychotic, or premenstrual.
Signs and symptoms of clinical depression
The American Psychiatric Association has published the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). Psychiatrists readily use this manual to match the signs or symptoms individuals complain about or come up with. But how about a common man like you? Here is the simple version of the manual.
General symptoms of MDD
(provided, these occur continuously daily)
- Feeling low
- Irritated mood
- Difficulty sleeping
- Inability to think
- Lack of energy
- Feeling hopeless
- Demotivated
- Suicidal thoughts
- Loss of weight
- Disinterest in hobbies
Detailed symptoms of deep depression or clinical depression
Psychological symptoms
This category includes the signs that revolve around the cognitive or emotional health of the individual.
- Struggling to concentrate, think, and make the right decisions.
- Losing interest in the things that you loved previously.
- Experiencing mixed negative emotions like irritation, frustration, anxiety, etc.
- Feeling exhausted about the everyday routine, job, and responsibilities.
- Failing to handle situations and solve real-life problems.
- Encountering repeated hopelessness and suicidal thinking.
Social symptoms
- Losing interest and focus on work or job.
- Failing to interact with colleagues, friends, or relatives.
- Avoiding situations or occasions that involve meeting more people.
- Not involved in any sort of hobbies or stress-relieving activities.
Physical or behavioral symptoms
This type kind of clinical depression symptoms includes the changes that your physical body undergoes in terms of functioning and behaviors.
- Continuous disturbed sleep resulting in insomnia.
- Lack of energy, enthusiasm, or the drive to carry out everyday activities.
- Fading effort in self-grooming and maintaining hygiene.
- Unexplained or sudden aches, like stomach aches, headaches, knee aches, muscle aches, foot aches, etc.
- Improper digestion, loss of appetite, and weight loss.
- Losing interest in the partner and experiencing no sex drive.
Treating Clinical depression
This chronic mental disorder is of course curable but the whole point lies in how early and how rightly you identify the condition. Thus, once you start experiencing any one of the above-listed signs, immediately reach out to the best rehabilitation center for depression. This helps psychiatrists clinically initiate the diagnosis and help you prevent the occurrence of further episodes of the condition.
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