We have all known someone that was sad because of an event that occurred in their lives. Sometimes we have been the one that was very sad for some reason. Have you ever thought that person might be suffering from clinical depression and might need some help? I have thought this a time or two about some friends that have lost their parents, but I was not sure how to know if they were clinically depressed or just grieving naturally. It is normal to be sad about a parent’s death, and it is perfectly natural to grieve, but there are certain symptoms that might show signs of a larger problem: clinical depression. If the person shows any of the following symptoms the majority of time for a period of two weeks or more, then they might have clinical depression. If they do show signs of clinical depression, then they need to seek professional help.
One of the symptoms of clinical depression is a loss of appetite or loss of weight without dieting or any other explanation. Another symptom of clinical depression is a change in sleep patterns. This can be sleeping too much, not sleeping enough, waking too early in the morning, or just having a terrible night sleep. The third symptom of clinical depression is a loss of interest in activities that normally give the person joy. One more symptom is the lack of energy, or fatigue for no apparent reason. Clinical depression symptoms also include feelings of hopelessness, or inappropriate guilt. An additional symptom is the inability to make decisions on very easy questions. Also in some more extreme cases of clinical depression a person may have recurring thoughts of death or suicide, melancholia, which is defined as overwhelming feelings of sadness or guilt, and disturbed thinking that, has no basis in rational thought. Other severe cases of clinical depression might actually cause some physical symptoms like headaches or stomach aches. Clinical depression is a very serious affliction and it should not be taken lightly. If you start seeing these symptoms, then seek professional help immediately.