First, a person must exhibit at least five of the following nine symptoms and these symptoms must be present for a minimum of two weeks:
- Depressed mood, nearly every day for most of the day.
- Diminished interest or pleasure in almost all daily activities, every day.
- Weight gain or loss when not dieting and decreased appetite nearly every day.
- Insomnia or sleeping too much nearly every day
- Abnormal restlessness or a drop in physical activity nearly every day
- Loss of energy or fatigue nearly every day
- Feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt nearly every day.
- Diminished ability to think, concentrate, or make decisions nearly every day.
- Recurrent thoughts of death, or recurrent suicidal thoughts without a specific plan; or a suicide attempt; or a specific plan for committing suicide.
Also, in addition to exhibiting at least of the five above symptoms, the following must also be true:
- The depression is not being caused by another illness. (Some exceptions occur).
- The depression is not the result of the loss of a loved one.
Flower Shoppe | Gardening Tips | Secret Garden | About the Gardener