Signs of Clinical Depression

How The 2-Week Factor Can Help You Decide If You Have the Signs of Clinical Depression

Let's pretend you are the proud owner of a golden retriever Fluffy. Normally, Fluffy is very happy. He runs around, plays, and is always happy to see you. All of a sudden Fluffy seems sad. He lays around your house all day long, moping. He has trouble sleeping through the night even though he had no trouble before. He's been like this for over 2 weeks and counting.

If you were a psychologist observing the same symptoms in a human being, you might think you were seeing symptoms of depression.

Clinical depression is a serious medical condition. You can't simply "get over it" or just use positive thinking. It's not the same as grieving for a loved one or feeling sad for a few days and then returning to normal. The symptoms of clinical depression can come on suddenly, or it can build up over a specified period of weeks, months, or years.

With clinical depression, you don't feel like yourself because you lose normal functioning. For instance, you may be sleeping a lot more than usual but still feel tired, unable to handle life, and having stomach problems. You may find yourself irritated at friends and family who are trying to reach out and help you. You may even think it will just blow over if you just wait.

Some of the signs of clinical depression are:

• Changes in sleeping patterns.
• Changes in appetite.
• Physical problems (e.g., headaches, stomachaches, or other symptoms) that do not seem to have an apparent cause or respond to treatment.
• Loss of interest in normal activities such as socializing with friends, sports, hobbies, etc.
• Feelings of low self-esteem and hopelessness.
• Negative or critical thoughts about yourself.
• Feeling irritable and/or suicidal.
• Inability to concentrate.

Why Is 2 Weeks a Good Period for Deciding If I Have Clinical Depression?

The DSM-IV manual put out by the American Psychiatric Association characterizes a major depressive episode when 5 or more specific symptoms¹ (some of which have been mentioned above) are present for at least two weeks.

Two weeks is a good timeframe because it gives you a solid length of time to observe some of the signs mentioned above and detect patterns that are different from how you normally behave. But you know yourself best, so if you feel like it can't wait 2 weeks, then obviously you should seek help as soon as you realize you have the signs of clinical depression.

One of the unfortunate signs of clinical depression is that it can make you less likely to ask for help.

You may feel like you're a burden on those you're asking for help. You may even feel "less than" for asking for it. It's because the depression is making you lose perspective. Of course, not asking for help makes it more likely for your condition to persist. So if you don't want to ask friends and family, then seek help from a mental health professional. Studies have shown that therapy can be an effective aid in treating depression.

You wouldn't let Fluffy suffer, would you?

Think about it this way. If your dog Fluffy was suffering, you'd want to help him be happy again wouldn't you? You wouldn't hesitate to ask for the advice of a professional. So if you're suffering from clinical depression, don't hold back on doing for yourself what you would do for Fluffy. Get help for your depression today.

Wondering if you may be depressed? Try this free depression questionnaire...

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