Clinical Depression is often confused with feelings of sadness, however the distinction often lies in the severity, length of the symptoms, and the extent to which they interfere with your day-to-day activities. According to the DSM-5, a manual doctors use to diagnose mental disorders, you have depression when you have five or more of these symptoms for at least 2 weeks:

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• Your mood is depressed for most of the day, especially in the morning.

• You feel tired or have a lack of energy almost every day.

• You feel worthless or guilty almost every day.

• You feel hopeless or pessimistic.

• You have a hard time focusing, remembering details, and making decisions.

• You can’t sleep, or you sleep too much, almost every day.

• You have almost no interest or pleasure in many activities nearly every day.

• You think often about death or suicide (not just a fear of death).

• You feel restless or slowed down.

• You’ve lost or gained weight.

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Depression affects more than 300 million people worldwide: 20% of all women, 10% of all men, and 5% or more of all adolescents. It is the leading cause of disability worldwide, according to the World Health Organization, and is the second most common psychiatric problem in the U.S. (after anxiety disorders), afflicting about 17.6 million people each year at a cost in the range of about $50 billion a year. (WebMD) 

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While it is common that people do not seek treatment for depression because they feel 'weak' or believe they just need to 'snap out of it,' please know that speaking with a therapist during this time may help you combat the effects depression has over your life.

 

While there is no 'quick fix' to depression, individual therapy has been proven to be effective in helping people get their lives back. Please contact us today to see how we can partner with you in your hope for healing. 

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