If you suspect you may be depressed, the best first step is to reach out to your primary care doctor, a psychiatrist, or a psychotherapist. The difference with depression is that the symptoms persist and make it difficult to function normally. Of course, it’s normal to have any or all of these symptoms temporarily (for hours or even days) from time to time. Your symptoms must also not be due to substance abuse or a medical condition, such as thyroid problems, a brain tumor, or a nutritional deficiency. To be diagnosed with MDD, one of your symptoms must be a persistent low mood or a loss of interest or pleasure, the DSM-5 states. Have recurrent thoughts of suicide or death?.Struggle with insomnia or sleep too much?.Find yourself wringing your hands, pacing, or showing other signs of anxious restlessness - or the opposite, moving or speaking more slowly than usual?.Have trouble concentrating or making decisions?.Often feel listless or fatigued for no obvious reason?.Notice dramatic changes up or down in your appetite or your weight not related to dieting?.Have little interest or pleasure in your work, hobbies, friends, family, and other things you once enjoyed?.Constantly feel tearful, empty, or worthless?.If sadness alone isn’t a good gauge of depression, what is? According to the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), which is the diagnostic guide used by most mental health professionals, if you’ve experienced at least five of the following symptoms most of the day, nearly every day, for at least two weeks, you may be diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD), also known as clinical depression. Learn More About Suicide Risk and Prevention This cannot be emphasized enough, given that roughly two-thirds of people living with depression do not receive the care they need, according to a report published online February 22, 2019, in the journal Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment. Although there is no one-size-fits-all cure for depression, there are many effective treatment options, one of which is bound to help you heal if you’re struggling with the illness. What’s more, a recent report from Mental Health America, a nonprofit founded in 1909, offers startling statistics pertaining to one of depression's most disturbing symptoms: thoughts of suicide.Īccording to its 2023 State of Mental Health in America report, suicidal ideation among adults has reached 4.84 percent (more than 12.1 million people). In 2020, an estimated 21 million, or 8.4 percent, of adults in the United States had at least one major depressive episode in the past year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, making it one of the most common mental illnesses in the United States. Unfortunately, there are plenty of people who know exactly what it means to be depressed.
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