| Depression may be described as feeling sad, blue, | | | | reckless or taking unnecessary risks (eg. driving fast or |
| unhappy, miserable, or down in the dumps. Sadness is | | | | dangerously). Increased irritability and frustration. More |
| a normal reaction to life's struggles, setbacks, and | | | | sensitivity to minor personal criticisms. Depression can |
| disappointments. Most of us feel this way at one time | | | | cause or exacerbate many physical symptoms, |
| or another for short periods. But true clinical depression | | | | including headaches, backaches, diarrhea or |
| is a mood disorder in which feelings of sadness, loss, | | | | constipation, abdominal pain, and aching joints. Older |
| anger, or frustration interfere with everyday life for an | | | | adults tend to complain more about the physical rather |
| extended time. People with a depressive disease | | | | than the emotional symptoms of depression, and so |
| cannot merely "pull themselves together" and get | | | | their mood disorder often goes unrecognized. |
| better. Depression is melancholy, sadness or a mood | | | | Depression may be indicated if an adolescent |
| of despair, lingering for a long time that limits a child's | | | | experiences an unusual degree of the symptoms. |
| ability to function normally. Sometimes a stressful life | | | | Most people will experience some of these symptoms |
| event triggers depression. Other times depression | | | | from time to time, but in order for it to be considered |
| seems to occur spontaneously with no identifiable | | | | major depression; you should be experiencing at least |
| specific cause. Depression is much more than grieving | | | | 5 of these symptoms, continuously, for at least 2 |
| or a bout of the blues. Depression may occur only | | | | weeks. Inability to experience pleasure. Nothing seems |
| once in a person's life. Often, however, it occurs as | | | | to interest you anymore, including former hobbies, |
| repeated episodes over a lifetime, with periods free of | | | | social activities. Sleeping too much or having problems |
| depression in between. Or it may be a chronic | | | | sleeping can be a sign you're depressed. Waking in the |
| condition, requiring ongoing treatment over a lifetime. | | | | middle of the night or early in the morning and not being |
| Depression is not grieving. Certain medical conditions or | | | | able to get back to sleep are typical. Changes in |
| medications can cause depression or symptoms that | | | | appetite (decreased appetite most common) often |
| look like depression. People suffering from depression | | | | signaled by rapid weight gain or loss. "Keyed up," |
| often show distorted thinking. People of all ages and | | | | unable to sit still, anxious, restless or sluggish, slow |
| races suffer from depression. Depression is more | | | | speech and body movements, lack of responsiveness. |
| common in adults than in children, but it does occur in | | | | Low self esteem is common with depression. |
| children. When children are depressed, their symptoms | | | | Depression can also cause a wide variety of physical |
| might be different from adults. For example, rather | | | | complaints, such as gastrointestinal problems |
| than showing sadness or crying, some children behave | | | | (indigestion, constipation or diarrhea), headache and |
| badly or show a lot of anger. They may be more | | | | backache. Many people with depression also have |
| cranky than usual, become picky about food, or may | | | | symptoms of anxiety. |
| show a lack of interest in their usual activities. Being | | | | |