Depression is something we see commonly in the counseling world. People may feel depressed but not have clinical depression. It is important to know the difference.
CLINICAL DEPRESSION
Diagnostic Criteria (DSM-5) for clinical depression, a person must meet the following criteria for at least two weeks:
- Depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure in most activities
- Significant weight loss or gain (when not dieting) or changes in appetite
- Insomnia or hypersomnia
- Psychomotor agitation or retardation
- Fatigue or loss of energy
- Feelings of worthlessness or guilt
- Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
- Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide ideation
AND:
- Symptoms must be present most of the day, nearly every day, for at least two weeks.
- Symptoms must cause significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
- Symptoms cannot be better explained by another mental health condition, such as anxiety or bipolar disorder.
- A thorough medical evaluation is necessary to rule out any underlying medical conditions that may contribute to symptoms.
Some may experience severe symptoms, while others more mild. If you are experiencing severe depression, i.e., suicidal, can’t function, etc., it is important to seek treatment immediately including going to the ER in some instances. In less severe cases, depression can be more situational . . . going through a divorce or break up, overwhelmed by life, after experiencing a death of a loved one or a tragic event. We can help you work through situational depression and find brighter days ahead.
MILD AND SITUATIONAL DEPRESSION
For chronic mild depression and severe situational depression, I take a full history. That history gives me clues into where the depression might be coming from. Here are some hidden truths about depression that might give some clues as to what might be causing yours:
1) Family patterns can create issues that lead to depression (abandonment, shame, control, anxiety). We seek to treat the underlying issues to lessen the depression vs. merely focusing on the depression symptoms themselves.
2) Our perspective may be skewed which worsens how we experience life. I often find people minimizing what they have been through. When I paint the picture back to them based on what they’ve told me, it often hits them hard. As we’re experiencing hard events, we are in survival mode and it become difficult to realize the full impact on our emotional, physical, and mental health.
3) We may trying to solve equations that can’t be solved. I often see people trying SO HARD to make sense of things that just don’t make sense! We are using OUR brain and OUR logic to try and understand why SOMEONE ELSE did something. It is never going to make sense because WE would never do that.
4) We keep using the same facts and logic to solve problems. For example, if someone can’t stop drinking, or overeating, or lying, or cheating. They keep looking into their own brain for answers vs. bouncing it off of other people or getting counseling. Einstein said “You can’t solve a problem with the same thinking that created it.”
At Healing Hearts of Indy, we have a wealth of knowledge and experience working with depression and depressive symptoms. Whether you meet the clinical criteria or not, we would love to help discover what may be contributing to yours.
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