Major Depressive Disorder:

Do you have persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness? Do you often break into tears? Do your loved one’s express concern over your anger or frustration over what seem to be small matters? There is a chance that you are experiencing a major depressive disorder, or what we used to call “clinical depression or “a nervous breakdown.” 

Major depressive disorder, commonly known as depression, includes pervasive depressed mood, and feeling fatigued or tired most of the day, nearly every day. Another distinguishing feature of depression is diminished interest in activities which were once pleasurable (e.g., have you lost interest in spending time with friends or hobbies like you used to? Or does sex seem less pleasurable or less interesting to you than before?). Many individuals diagnosed with depression identify the desire to want to be in bed and sleep all day while some say that they can’t sleep at all or sleep too little. Reduced capacity for concentrating and attending, significant weight loss or weight gain,  inappropriate guilt, such that these interfere with one’s everyday functioning, can all be signs of depression. In severe cases, individuals may even question, ‘is this life even worth living?’ and report suicidal thoughts, feelings, or gestures of self-harm. If these symptoms resonate with you, reach out to a mental professional or your family physician immediately and request a screening for a possible mood disorder like depression.