What Does the Term “Clinical Depression” Mean?
From time to time, it’s normal to feel sad. We all go through certain periods or events in our lives that cause us to feel less than our best. Unfortunately, feeling low can sometimes come with the experience of being human.
However, there is another type of sadness that just doesn’t go away as easily. Commonly known as clinical depression, or major depressive disorder, it affects many people throughout the world.
Sometimes, it can be hard to know the difference between the typical “blues” and clinical depression. When you aren’t sure, you might not seek out the therapy you need to feel better if it is actually clinical depression.
Here are a few things to keep in mind.
It’s Not Just a Temporary Thing
As humans, we feel a range of emotions. From happiness to sadness to anger or peace, there’s an ebb and flow to what we are feeling.
With depression, however, the feelings of sadness don’t just go away. Even if you are going through an experience such as grief or a traumatic event, you’ll likely have moments where you do feel little sparks of joy.
That is one key characteristic that sets clinical depression apart—it’s persistent.
It Causes You to Lose Interest
We all face moments when we just don’t care to pick a certain hobby or do something we enjoy. Maybe that’s from doing it too much or we have moved on to other things that interest us more—none of which is bad.
But, if you have lost complete interest in all of your hobbies and just can’t bring yourself to do them, this could be a sign that you are dealing with clinical depression. You may also find that you no longer find joy in people, places, or your work.
It Prevents You From Functioning in Key Areas of Their Life
It’s common to go through phases where you just don’t feel like you are performing well in school or at your absolute best. However, another key sign of clinical depression is when any of the symptoms above begin to affect you in your everyday life.
Many people who have clinical depression also find that it’s really hard for them to get through basic everyday things, whether that is with work, school, family life, or household duties. It can become really debilitating when you are battling persistent depression. And because you aren’t at your best in any of these areas, you may notice that your symptoms of depression worsen.
More Symptoms of Clinical Depression
There are certain criteria that must be met in order for someone to formally be diagnosed with clinical depression.
Depression is more than just sadness or a loss of interest. This can be surprising for many to hear because those are typically the main symptoms most associated with clinical depression. However, depression can symptoms can range from:
Trouble concentrating
Indecisiveness
Fatigue
Sleeping too much or not enough
Changes in appetite
Weight loss or gain
Feeling restless
Irritability
Feelings of shame or guilt
Dark thoughts about death or suicide
Depression is More Than Just Sadness
As stated above, depression is more than just sadness. For a formal diagnosis of clinical depression to be made, someone must exhibit at least four or more of the symptoms above, including prolonged feelings of depression.
These symptoms must last for more than 2 weeks for them to be considered persistent.
What to Do Next
If you are recognizing any of these symptoms in yourself or a loved one, you may be wondering what you can do next. While clinical depression is a very real thing that affects many people, it doesn’t mean you have to continue to suffer in silence. There is no shame in not feeling your best or needing extra support.
If you are ready to learn how Inward Counseling’s skilled team of therapists can help you, let’s connect to help you out of this rut that depression has got you in.
Therapy for Depression Can Help You Build A Life You Love
You do not have to face your depression alone and in the dark. You deserve to be healthy and happy. Our compassionate team of therapists at Inward Counseling wants to help bring you into the light. If you are struggling and need help, reach out to us today.
We invite you to schedule a free 15-minute consultation or call us at 704-255-5114
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Other Therapy Services offered at Inward Counseling
Therapy for Depression is just one of the many therapy services we offer at our practice. We also offer trauma therapy, anxiety therapy, depression therapy, couples therapy, family therapy, and Christian counseling. We offer online therapy. We can also accommodate in-person services at our Charlotte, NC, or Pineville, NC based offices. Feel free to explore our blogs for great reads and tips for managing life’s challenges.