@resourcefulMoon669
Hi, You'll know when you are depressed because your motivation goes way down, things appear somehow differently due to perceptions changing and often there is a loss of will power or will to keep struggling, but it is due to an imbalance and can be treated well, Ive been on meds for 2 years and my life is turning around. You can do it!
Blessings, Day
@resourcefulMoon669
loss of sleep and appetite
sadness
continuous blaming yourself or others
Physical pain in the body
Irritability
@resourcefulMoon669 here's the diagnosis criteria of major depressive disorder from DSM-5. Hope you find it to be helpful!
A. Five (or more) of the following symptoms have been present during the same 2-week
period and represent a change from previous functioning; at least one of the symptoms
is either (1) depressed mood or (2) loss of interest or pleasure.
Note: Do not include symptoms that are clearly attributable to another medical condition.
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Depressedmoodmostoftheday,nearlyeveryday,asindicatedbyeithersubjec- tive report (e.g., feels sad, empty, hopeless) or observation made by others (e.g., appears tearful). (Note: In children and adolescents, can be irritable mood.)
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Markedlydiminishedinterestorpleasureinall,oralmostall,activitiesmostofthe day, nearly every day (as indicated by either subjective account or observation).
Major Depressive Disorder 161
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Significantweightlosswhennotdietingorweightgain(e.g.,achangeofmorethan 5% of body weight in a month), or decrease or increase in appetite nearly every day. (Note: In children, consider failure to make expected weight gain.)
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Insomniaorhypersomnianearlyeveryday.
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Psychomotor agitation or retardation nearly every day (observable by others, not
merely subjective feelings of restlessness or being slowed down).
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Fatigueorlossofenergynearlyeveryday.
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Feelingsofworthlessnessorexcessiveorinappropriateguilt(whichmaybedelu-
sional) nearly every day (not merely self-reproach or guilt about being sick).
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Diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness, nearly every day (ei-
ther by subjective account or as observed by others).
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Recurrentthoughtsofdeath(notjustfearofdying),recurrentsuicidalideationwith-
out a specific plan, or a suicide attempt or a specific plan for committing suicide.
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The symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupa- tional, or other important areas of functioning.
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The episode is not attributable to the physiological effects of a substance or to another medical condition.
Note: Criteria A–C represent a major depressive episode.
Note: Responses to a significant loss (e.g., bereavement, financial ruin, losses from a nat-
ural disaster, a serious medical illness or disability) may include the feelings of intense sad-
ness, rumination about the loss, insomnia, poor appetite, and weight loss noted in Criterion A,
which may resemble a depressive episode. Although such symptoms may be understand-
able or considered appropriate to the loss, the presence of a major depressive episode in
addition to the normal response to a significant loss should also be carefully considered. This
decision inevitably requires the exercise of clinical judgment based on the individual’s history
and the cultural norms for the expression of distress in the context of loss.1
D. The occurrence of the major depressive episode is not better explained by schizoaf-
fective disorder, schizophrenia, schizophreniform disorder, delusional disorder, or
other specified and unspecified schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders. E. There has never been a manic episode or a hypomanic episode.
Note: This exclusion does not apply if all of the manic-like or hypomanic-like episodes are substance-induced or are attributable to the physiological effects of another med- ical condition.