Clinical Depression Symptoms

If you suffer from the symptoms of depression, then unfortunately that is your reality - for now.

We can carry on about positive thinking and life path as much as we want, but if you suffer from the symptoms of depression there is a hurdle to be overcome.

The first step in overcoming depression is to recognise your condition, and from there you can monitor causes and triggers and map out an approach to target the causes.

If do you suffer from depression then to Be Master of your Life means overcoming or at least managing this debilitating affliction, otherwise read this page for information only and move on.

If the condition is periodic, ie. occasionally for a day or two, then it is at least manageable because you live in the knowledge that it will pass. However, if it is a more or less permanent affliction, we need to start finding some causes.

Firstly you need to recognise whether you really have clinical depression symptoms or not. Depression is not simply feeling sad or down, it is a condition where nothing seems to help.

Let me put it this way : "Lets say it is your birthday and you get up feeling depressed. Some friends show up with gifts ready for fun, one present is an instant lottery ticket which wins, and in all everything is great." But, you still feel depressed - your brain will simply not let you feel good! That is depression.

The first many people know of being depressed is when their doctor asks them some questions about their feeling down before telling them they are depressed and prescribing anti-depressants.

Anti-depressants are usually a band aid solution - a result of todays 10 minute medical consultation.

A person is said to suffer from clinical depression when intense sadness or despair reaches a point where it begins to affect your social functioning.

A depressed mood that goes on for at least two weeks is one of the definite depression symptoms. If accompanied by two other classic depression symptoms, then it is a clear indication of the individual’s condition.

An inability to feel emotion, lack of interest in daily activities, extreme weight loss or gain, disturbed sleep patterns, fatigue, feelings of guilt or hopelessness or anxiety, trouble with concentration or memory, suicidal thoughts, and fear of abandonment are some of the classic clinical depression symptoms.

The test applied to Clinical Depression Symptoms is the Beck Depression Inventory. It is a 21-question multiple choice survey used to measure the severity of depression.

The Beck Depression Inventory :-

• 1. Sadness.
• 2. Pessimism.
• 3. Past failure.
• 4. Loss of Pleasure.
• 5. Guilty Feelings.
• 6. Punishment feelings.
• 7. Self Dislike.
• 8. Self Criticism.
• 9. Suicidal thoughts or wishes.
• 10. Crying.
• 11. Agitation.
• 12. Loss of interest.
• 13. Indecisiveness.
• 14. Worthlessness.
• 15. Loss of energy.
• 16. Changes in sleeping patterns.
• 17. Irritability.
• 18. Changes in Appetite.
• 19. Concentration Difficulty.
• 20. Tiredness or Fatigue.
• 21. Loss of interest in Sex.

This list of symptoms is applied as a test. The severity of each condition is evaluated with a score from zero to three.

• 0 Means does not apply.
• 1 Means mild feelings.
• 2 Means strong feelings.
• 3 Means overwhelming feeling.

Now, before I get on my E.F.T. band wagon, let's take at a look at some possible causes.

There are numerous causes of depression and these could include heredity, physiology, psychological conditions, life experiences, medical conditions, and substance abuse.

However for most people who do not have a medical condition until they develop clinical depression symptoms the causes are predominately lifestyle and stress related.

The unrelenting stress of many modern lifestyles, take their toll on the functioning of the brain. Whilst some stress cam be beneficial, ie. stimulation and excitement, enough is enough, and if our minds do not get respite from continual over-stimulation, the brains defense mechanisms are activated and brain activity is reduced ie. depression.

When we suffer great disappointments, abuse, grief, and loss, recovery is normal over a period of time. See - Stages of Grief , however, repetitive occurrences of these emotional injuries and sadnesses build up and become permanent.

Just as a physical injury can leave scars, so does an emotional injury.

Eventually an accumulation of untreated emotional injuries leads to clinical depression symptoms.

The effect of a buildup of emotional injuries is a hormone imbalance in the functioning of the brain, which is why we cannot simply snap ourselves out of it.

When the causes are from life experiences ie. traumas, we can do something about it. Dealing with and releasing ourselves from the shackles of the past is primarily what personal development is all about.

When clinical depression symptoms are present you have a condition in which your brain is preventing your mind from functioning properly.

Whilst there is no single magic bullet targeting depression, a multi-pronged approach which includes such diverse things as diet, exercise, meditation, affirmations and Emotional Freedom Technique can roll back the causes of depression - in other words, follow Be Master of Your Life from start to finish.

The bottom line is that you have to do something positive and build on it. Of course I fully realise that when you feel depressed, you simply can't be bothered - that is one of the self sustaining feelings of depression.

However, it is a matter of taking one step at a time. The first step is to read my E.F.T. page, then to learn the technique.

Meanwhile, you could also be saying affirmations for Happiness or for Healing.

An exercise regime has also been known to stimulate the mind as well as the body.

Once you have learnt the emotional freedom technique (it only takes two minutes to perform a cycle), you have a method to target the feelings of depression, and eventually the causes.

Once you are proficient at tapping (E.F.T.), and you find yourself depressed, or even just down, go through the Beck Depression Inventory above, and tap on any of the items which register greater than one.

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