What conditions are required before someone is diagnosed as clinically depressed?

Answer 1

Here are the specific guidelines according to the DSM-IV:

This disorder is characterized by the presence of the majority of these symptoms:

• Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day, as indicated by either subjective report (e.g., feels sad or empty) or observation made by others (e.g., appears tearful). (In children and adolescents, this may be characterized as an irritable mood.)
• Markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities most of the day, nearly every day
• Significant weight loss when not dieting or weight gain (e.g., a change of more than 5 of body weight in a month), or decrease or increase in appetite nearly every day.
• Insomnia or hypersomnia nearly every day
• Psychomotor agitation or retardation nearly every day
• Fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day
• Feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt nearly every day
• Diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness, nearly every day
• Recurrent thoughts of death (not just fear of dying), recurrent suicidal ideation without a specific plan, or a suicide attempt or a specific plan for committing suicide.

Here's what all that means!

Depression is an illness which cannot be diagnosed by a test result or lab value. Diagnosis depends solely upon your reports to the doctor on the way you feel. This is a very subjective way to diagnose something, and there is a good possibility that someone could exaggerate or downplay their symptoms and obtain an incorrect diagnosis.

The symptoms of clinical depression are different from those of normal sadness or grief, which are caused by a reaction to crisis or tragedy, run through a normal emotional process, and then dissipate. Clinical depression must last for at least two weeks. This mood must represent a change from the normal mood and emotional outlook of the person. Depression caused or aggravated by drugs, alcohol, or chronic illness are not considered to be clinical depression because they have a clear cause.

Clinical depression includes feeling sad almost all of the time , and losing interest in things you used to enjoy. You feel hopeless or worthless almost all of the time. You have feelings of guilt about things for which you could not be responsible. You have a lower ability to think and reason, or feelings of indecisiveness almost all the time.

You might sleep all of the time, or you might have trouble sleeping at all. You might lose your appetite, or you might eat more than normal. You might feel sluggish and slowed down, or you might have the opposite reaction and feel anxious and jittery.

The clincher for diagnosing depression is suicidal thoughts. You are considered to be depressed if you have continued thoughts about death, thoughts about how you would kill yourself; or if you have actually made a suicide plan or attempted to kill yourself.

Answer

You can alleviate some of the symptoms by eating a balanced diet (no sugar, no soda, low fat), limiting sleep to 8-9 hours, getting exercise (such as a half hour walk), doing something you enjoy for at least 15 minutes (a craft?) and talking with someone about anything. It takes focus, so maybe a list or chart will help you on your way.

Answer 2

To be diagnosed with clinical depression, a person must experience depressed mood or loss of interest/pleasure in daily activities for at least two weeks, along with other symptoms such as changes in appetite or sleep, fatigue, feelings of worthlessness, difficulty concentrating, and thoughts of death or suicide. These symptoms must not be due to a medical condition, substance use, or bereavement. A comprehensive evaluation by a mental health professional is necessary for an accurate diagnosis.