Are You Suffering From Depression?
By: Brian Murray, LMHC, NCC Depression is a condition that affects our mood. There are variations of the disorder found in the DSM-5 manual that describes each type of depressive disorder. Clinical depression goes by many names ranging from mild to severe. Mild could mean nothing more than a case of the blues that fades out after a week or two. More severe cases may require medication or a brief stay in the hospital. However hospitalized cases usually involve psychosis which can be debilitating. Longer term depression, which can be life long, is called Persistent Depressive Disorder which until recently was called Dysthymia. An example of long-term depression is seen with Eeyore in Winnie The Pooh. Depression is more than just a sad mood for a day or two, it’s something that goes for weeks, months or even years on end. Most people who experience depression report a primary feeling called anhedonia which is the inability to feel pleasure. On depression questionnaires you will se...