Is there someone to whom you're close that you think may be suffering from clinical depression? If so you must understand the condition better so that you can see if that's the problem they are dealing with. The definition of clinical depression is feeling extremely sad, downhearted and miserable, to such a degree that it interferes with the person's ability to function normally in their day-to-day life. It's somewhat different than feeling low all the time, which can also be a form of depression.  However, if it doesn't interfere with daily activities to the point of making it impossible to perform them, it's called being depressed. Sometimes this feeling makes a person show a lack of ambition or seem to be down for no obvious reason. Still it's different than being diagnosed with clinical depression.


Clinical depression affects sixteen percent of all Americans. More females are affected than males; at least twice as many. These figures are skewed to women at an early age, but as people grow they actually even out with the figures coming closer when people reach their fifties. At this point clinical depression is the leading cause in America of disability. By 2020 it is expected to be the same worldwide. This very serious problem cannot be diagnosed with a blood or urine test. No x-ray or MRI can confirm or deny the existence of clinical depression.


It can only be diagnosed based on symptoms that a person suffers from. The expectation is that if a person is suffering from clinical depression they must experience one of two specific symptoms. They are either suffering from a severe down mood or from an inability to experience pleasure. The latter is called Anaerobia. If a person has one of them and at least five of the following symptoms they are considered to be suffering from clinical depression.


These next line symptoms include:

• a person getting no pleasure from their daily activities. They're always feeling rather empty;
• they might show a significant weight loss or gain due to a major change in appetite;
• they frequently might deal with unending tiredness, always feeling a lack of energy;
• some have to deal with a sleep pattern disruption that can be due to requiring too much sleep or an inability to sleep enough;
• there can be difficulty concentrating which is often accompanied by memory problems;
• many have to deal with a feeling of being alone, that no one cares. This may lead to thoughts of death, though not always related to suicide or planning to end one's life;
• many also suffer from a feeling of great sadness, or an inability to feel anything. These can be accompanied by the lesser symptoms of a feeling of worthlessness, neglect of personal care, crying, and sensitivity to sound, irritability or physical illness.

If someone you know has more than five of the above they're struggling every day. The best thing you can do is encourage them to seek help from their health care provider.