It’s estimated that 16.2 million adults in the Us, or 6.7 percent of American adults have depression. The American Psychiatric Association defines depression or major depressive disorder, “as a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act. Fortunately, it is also treatable. Depression causes feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest in activities once enjoyed. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems and can decrease a person’s ability to function at work and at home.”
Depression symptoms can vary from mild to severe and can include:
- Feeling sad or having a depressed mood
- Loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed
- Changes in appetite — weight loss or gain unrelated to dieting
- Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
- Loss of energy or increased fatigue
- Increase in purposeless physical activity (e.g., hand-wringing or pacing) or
- slowed movements and speech (actions observable by others)
- Difficulty thinking, concentrating or making decisions
- Thoughts of death or suicide
- Symptoms must last at least two weeks for a diagnosis of depression.”
From the American Psychiatric Association