The depression it’s the most known of all the mood disorders, in fact we usually talk about being depressed when we are just trying to say we are sad or dismotivated.
The diagnosis manual DSM-IV-TR established that we can consider there’s a mood disorder if we have 5 or more of these symptoms for at least 2 weeks, or 2 or more of them, for around 2 years:
Depressed mood during almost the whole day, reduced interest in activities that used to be enjoyed, lose or raise of the appetite without any reason, sleep disturbance: insomnia or constant need of sleeping, sense of being tired or reduction of the energy level, fellings of being guilty or a failure, low selfsteem, suicidal thoughts and feeling agitated.
If you identify yourself with these symptoms, you might be depressed, but only a professional can advice you and clear your doubts.
Depression it’s one of the most misunderstood disorders, when you are depressed you usually feel nobody can understand the way you are suffering, the big effort you need to do anything and how guilty you feel for being in this situation. Another belive it’s that depression it’s a cronical disorder with a difficult solution, so there’s nothing more un hopeless: I feel terribly bad an there’s no solution.
But the present of the clinical practice, the success of the psychological treatments in the last year, reveal these believes are wrong. In each case the causes of depression are different, but a right therapy, individualized and centred in the personal needs of the depressed person it’s crucial for restore wellness. And if the person makes of the therapeutic resources a routine, will feel big improvements.
Usually during the therapy we work on different levels, teaching how to restore the enjoining elements of life, gaining confidence facing new situations, raising selfsteem, accepting mistakes and learn to know our personal skills. If there’s a specific problem, we will work to face it in a realistic way, finding out the possible solutions and acting with different skills never tried before, even cause being lost, or you never used them cause you didn’t know them.