What characterizes major clinical depression?

To be diagnosed as clinically depressed, a person must have some of the following symptoms: significant weight gain or loss, significant change in sleep patterns, feelings of restlessness or slowed down, fatigued all the time, worthlessness or guilt, difficulty concentrating or making decisions, hopelessness, and …

What factors contribute to depression?

Causes – Clinical depression

• Stressful events. Most people take time to come to terms with stressful events, such as bereavement or a relationship breakdown.
• Personality.
• Family history.
• Giving birth.
• Loneliness.
• Alcohol and drugs.
• Illness.

What is the medical definition of clinical depression?

Clinical depression: Depressed mood that meets the DSM-IV criteria for a depressive disorder. The term clinical depression is commonly used to describe depression that is a type of mental illness’not a normal, temporary mood caused by life events or grieving.

Who is prone to clinical depression?

For example, while it’s true that depression affects both males and females, it’s apparent that being female can make one more prone to depression. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports unipolar depression is twice as common in women than men, due in part to both biological and social factors.

What reduces risk of depression?

Get enough sleep, eat well, and exercise regularly. Reach out to family and friends when times get hard. Get regular medical checkups, and see your provider if you don’t feel right. Get help if you think you’re depressed.

Can you heal from clinical depression?

There’s no cure for depression, but there are lots of effective treatments. People can recover from depression and live long and healthy lives.

What causes clinical depression in the brain?

Research suggests that depression doesn’t spring from simply having too much or too little of certain brain chemicals. Rather, there are many possible causes of depression, including faulty mood regulation by the brain, genetic vulnerability, and stressful life events.

What happens to brain during depression?

As depression starts to affect the brain’s chemical balances, neurons in the hippocampus shrink, which can cause difficulty concentrating and memory loss. A shrunken hippocampus can also make completing familiar tasks difficult, which can lead to hopelessness, guilt, and anxiety.