Depression

            " This expression is repeatedly used.
            
             I feel blue kind of day? Are these feelings constant or.
             dependent on life situations? When should a person take.
             this expression literally? What can be done to help.
             someone who is depressed? .
             Twenty percent of the worlds population is at risk for.
             depression at some point in their life. Depression is the.
             "common cold" of psychological disorders. Much like a.
             cold, the symptoms of depression are numerous, and are.
             varied in degree. There is, however, two basic types of.
             depression. The first, primary depression is a clinically.
             depressed person. The second, secondary depression is.
             someone suffering with the day to day feelings of sadness.
             (Mondimore 1993: 31).
             When diagnosing depression, the symptoms must be.
             evaluated. Some symptoms of depression are feelings of.
             guilt, inadequacy, and fear. Mood variation is also a.
             symptom. Preoccupation with failure, obsession with past.
             failures are common indicator symptoms. Nightmares.
             associated with death, pain, or loss. Anhedonia, the.
             inability to experience pleasure, is associated with.
             depression. Indecisiveness and panic attacks are all.
             considered common symptoms of depression (Mondimore.
             1993:26).
             The common symptoms are related to the vegetative.
             symptoms. Vegetative symptoms of depression interfere with.
             basic bodily needs, such as sleep, food, and sexual.
             pleasure. Vegetative symptoms include: sleep disturbance,.
             appetite disturbance, low-energy, phantom body pains, loss.
             of sexual drive, and poor concentration. The fact that the.
             illness interferes with so many aspects of a persons life.
             demonstrates the severity and importance of diagnosis and.
             treatment (Mondimore 1993:19).
             Chronic depression is called dythymia or dysthmic.
             disorder. The prefix dys-, in medicine, means abnormal or.
             impaired. Dysthmia is not as severe as major depression.
             but is experienced for an extended period of time. To be.
             diagnosed the patient must have experienced common, as well.