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What is Depression?
Many people don't really understand what depression really is and how it can affect the individual. I place most of the blame for this on the English language, itself. You see, "depression" is a synonym for "sadness," the meaning of which is related to "being sad." However, having depression is much, much more than "just" being sad or being in a state of sadness. In searching for definitions of these words, the meanings themselves become convoluted and twisted, intertwining different aspects of the different definitions together. Let's take a look: The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, defines depression as 1.
1. The act of depressing.
2. The condition of being depressed. which then goes on to define "depressed" as 1. To lower in spirits; deject. Now let's switch for a minute to the definition of "sad" (sadness): 1. Affected or characterized by sorrow or unhappiness.
2. Expressive of sorrow or unhappiness.
3. Causing sorrow or gloom; depressing: a sad movie; sad news.
4. Deplorable; sorry: a sad state of affairs; a sad excuse.
5. Dark-hued; somber. As can be seen, the third definition for "sadness" is "depressing," which is defined as "to lower in spirits; deject." So in essence, sadness and depressed are one and the same, which is why it gets very, very confusing when talking about depression, because depression, although remotely related to sadness, is much, much more than merely having one's spirits lowered or dejected. As Wikipedia goes on to explain, This is quite distinct from the medical diagnosis of clinical depression. However, if depressed mood lasts at least two weeks, and is accompanied by other symptoms that interfere with daily living, it may be seen as a symptom of clinical depression, dysthymia or some other diagnosable mental illness, or alternatively as sub-syndromal depression. In the field of psychiatry, the word depression can also have this meaning of low mood but more specifically refers to a mental illness when it has reached a severity and duration to warrant a diagnosis, whether there is an obvious situational cause or not; see Clinical depression. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) states that a depressed mood is often reported as being: "... depressed, sad, hopeless, discouraged, or 'down in the dumps'." In a clinical setting, a depressed mood can be something a patient reports (a symptom), or something a clinician observes (a sign), or both. Are we confused yet? Let's try some other definitions out there. The National Alliance of Mental Illness has this to say about depression: Major depression is a serious medical illness affecting 15 million American adults, or approximately 5 to 8 percent of the adult population in a given year. Unlike normal emotional experiences of sadness, loss, or passing mood states, major depression is persistent and can significantly interfere with an individualÂs thoughts, behavior, mood, activity, and physical health. Among all medical illnesses, major depression is the leading cause of disability in the U.S. and many other developed countries. And in their fact sheet publication entitled Understanding Major Depression and Recovery (PDF), they restate the definition in somewhat simpler terms: Major depression is a mood state that goes well beyond temporarily feeling sad or blue. It is a serious medical illness that affects oneÂs thoughts, feelings, behavior, mood, and physical health. About.com further explains the differences between beindepresseded and having depression: Although depression is often thought of a being an extreme state of sadness, there is a vast difference between clinical depression and sadness. Sadness is a part of being human, a natural reaction to painful circumstances. All of us will experience sadness at some point in our lives. Depression, however, is a physical illness with many more symptoms than an unhappy mood. See the external link below for the restr of this article. |
Being Sad vs. Depression--what's the difference?
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It doesn't sound like clinical depression lends itself well to self diagnosis. As the Pharmaceutical ads on TV say, "Ask your doctor". Of course that assumes you have a doctor.
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This intel was contributed by Nite*Star
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May, 2012
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