Depression is described as low and sad mood for a significant period of time accompanied with the following symptoms:
- Anhedonia (Inability to experience pleasure from the things or events which were pleasureful in the past.)
- Insomnia (Lack of sleep) or Hypersomnia (Excess in sleep.)
- Disturbance in eating pattern (Eating too much or eating too little or a complete loss of appetite.)
- Irritability.
- Fatigue or decreased energy.
- Feelings of guilt and worthlessness.
- Persistent pains and aches such as headaches, cramps or digestive problems which do not go away even with treatment.
- Suicidal thoughts.
One thing worth noting here is that simply having a low sad mood is not enough to qualify as depression syndrome unless it is accompanied by the symptoms listed above.
Types of Depression:
Depression can be subdivided into two categories based on severity.
- Major Depression
- Dysthymia or Chronic Depression
Major depression is the most severe kind of depression with a constant sense of hopelessness and despair, also known as clinical depression. With major depression, it may be difficult to work, study, sleep, eat, and enjoy friends and activities. Some people have clinical depression only once in their life, while others have it several times in a lifetime.
2. Dysthymia (Chronic Depression)
Dysthymia, sometimes referred to as mild, chronic depression, is less severe than major depression. With dysthymia, the depression symptoms can linger for a long period of time, often two years or longer. Those who suffer from dysthymia can also experience periods of major depression.
Depression Assessment Questionnaire
![Depression assessment questionnaire 1 Questionnaire](https://incpak.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/questionnaire.jpg)
Below is the questionnaire you might want to fill out in order to assess how much are you depressed. If you score high on this questionnaire, it doesn’t make you a psychiatric patient until the depression is interfering in your daily life and making it difficult for you to perform your duties.
Note: Send an email to aleemashraf1@gmail.com to have your stats mailed back to you.