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Depression
and
other Mood Disorders:




F and Q:


Depression is commonly refers to a downturn in mood which may be relatively transitory and perhaps due to something trivial. The common usage of this term differs significantly from the medical term clinical depression, which is a mental disorder marked by symptoms that last two weeks or more and are so severe that they interfere with daily living.

In the field of psychiatry the term depression can also have the everyday general meaning but it refers more specifically to a mental disorder when it has reached a severity and duration to warrant a diagnosis. 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'."


"A depressed person will feel left out and alone.As if everyone is against you-Annoymous"



In a clinical setting, a depressed mood can be something a symptom, or something a clinician observes,or both.

Being Bipolar is another form of depression.Bipolar disorder is not a single disorder, but a category of mood disorders defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated mood, clinically referred to as mania. Individuals who experience manic episodes also commonly experience depressive episodes or symptoms, or mixed episodes in which features of both mania and depression are present. These episodes are normally separated by periods of normal mood, but in some patients, depression and mania may rapidly alternate, known as rapid cycling. Extreme manic episodes can sometimes lead to psychotic symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations. The disorder has been subdivided into bipolar I, bipolar II, Bipolar NOS, and cyclothymia based on the type and severity of mood episodes experienced.Manic-depressive illness or bipolar disorder affects both men and women. Although it can start at any age, it usually begins in late adolescence. Bipolar disorder is found among people of all ages, races, ethnic groups, and social classes. It appears to have a genetic link and tends to run in families. Unfortunately, in addition to affecting the sufferer’s life, this disease also has the potential to devastate the lives of the caregivers and those in the immediate family circle.

Other types of Depression include:

-Depression (mood):a lack of positive affect.
-Clinical depression:a clinical diagnosis of a state of intense sadness.
-Melancholic depression:a sub-type of clinical depression characterized by an inability to feel pleasure combined with physical agitation, insomnia, or decreased appetite.
-Atypical depression:a cyclical sub-type of clinical depression where sleep, feeding and perception of pleasure are normal but there is a feeling of lethargy.
-Psychotic depression:a sub-type of clinical depression combined with psychotic or delusional perceptions.
-Postnatal depression:clinical depression following childbirth.
-Seasonal Depression: a type of fleeting depression that comes and goes with the seasons usally during the winter months.
-Depression of the 4th stage of the Kübler-Ross model (Also known as depression based on the stages of death)
-And of course Suicidal: Which is the want/need for someone to take their own life.




"Are you Depressed?"







This scale is not designed to make a diagnosis of depression or take the place of a professional diagnosis. If you suspect that you are depressed, please consult with a mental health professional as soon as possible.

The 18 items below refer to how you have felt and behaved DURING THE PAST WEEK. For each item, indicate the extent to which it is true, by circling the appropriate item.


1. I do things slowly.
Not at all
Just a little
Somewhat
Moderately
Quite a lot
Very much

2. My future seems hopeless.
Not at all
Just a little
Somewhat
Moderately
Quite a lot
Very much

3. It is hard for me to concentrate on reading.
Not at all
Just a little
Somewhat
Moderately
Quite a lot
Very much

4. The pleasure and joy has gone out of my life.
Not at all
Just a little
Somewhat
Moderately
Quite a lot
Very much

5. I have difficulty making decisions.
Not at all
Just a little
Somewhat
Moderately
Quite a lot
Very much

6. I have lost interest in aspects of life that used to be important to me.
Not at all
Just a little
Somewhat
Moderately
Quite a lot
Very much

7. I feel sad, blue, and unhappy.
Not at all
Just a little
Somewhat
Moderately
Quite a lot
Very much

8. I am agitated and keep moving around.
Not at all
Just a little
Somewhat
Moderately
Quite a lot
Very much

9. I feel fatigued.
Not at all
Just a little
Somewhat
Moderately
Quite a lot
Very much

10. It takes great effort for me to do simple things.
Not at all
Just a little
Somewhat
Moderately
Quite a lot
Very much

11. I feel that I am a guilty person who deserves to be punished.
Not at all
Just a little
Somewhat
Moderately
Quite a lot
Very much

12. I feel like a failure.
Not at all
Just a little
Somewhat
Moderately
Quite a lot
Very much

13. I feel lifeless -- more dead than alive.
Not at all
Just a little
Somewhat
Moderately
Quite a lot
Very much

14. My sleep has been disturbed -- too little, too much, or broken sleep.
Not at all
Just a little
Somewhat
Moderately
Quite a lot
Very much

15. I spend time thinking about HOW I might kill myself.
Not at all
Just a little
Somewhat
Moderately
Quite a lot
Very much

16. I feel trapped or caught.
Not at all
Just a little
Somewhat
Moderately
Quite a lot
Very much

17. I feel depressed even when good things happen to me.
Not at all
Just a little
Somewhat
Moderately
Quite a lot
Very much

18. Without trying to diet, I have lost, or gained, weight.
Not at all
Just a little
Somewhat
Moderately
Quite a lot
Very much



Scoring:

Now add up your scores on a scale of 1-6. Not at all is a 1 and Very Much is a 6. Add these scores together and see what your score is.Remember:You should not take this as a diagnosis or recommendation for treatment in any way, though.You experience the normal ups and downs of life.Also this is a just for an activity that a fellow student has made up based in information on the web.DO NOT TAKE IT SERIOUSLY.

If you scored...
You may have...
54 & up
Severe depression
36 - 53
Moderate/severe depression
22 - 35
Mild to moderate depression
18 - 21
Borderline depression
10 - 17
Possible mild depression
0 - 9
No depression likely