Doctors and psychiatrists consider nine specific symptoms when they make a diagnosis of depression.

These are:

• depressed mood
• loss of pleasure of interest in usual activities,
• sleep disturbance,
• disturbance of appetite,
• feeling agitated or lethargic,
• loss of energy,
• feelings of worthlessness or guilt,
• difficulties in thinking,
• recurrent thoughts of death or suicide.

Suffering from a depressed mood or no longer getting pleasure out of activities you once found interesting and enjoyable, along with at least 4 of the other symptoms, for at least two weeks, results in a diagnosis of ‘major’ depression.

Whether depression is what doctors term ‘major’ or ‘minor’ is, of course, of only academic importance. All depression is disabling to some degree, and the earlier you act to avert it the better, because it is truly something you can nip in the bud.

Knowledge is vital if you want to improve your mental state, and, once you understand what depression does to the mind and body to maintain the low mood, you may find you can prise open its stranglehold immediately. Many people do this.

Reading and understanding the information on this website: why depression occurs, the relationship between dreaming and depression and what emotional needs must be met in everyone for optimum mental health are the first steps in a road to recovery that could be a shorter journey than you might think.

Others may need a little more help, in the form of effective brief psychotherapy from a qualified professional therapist, and this is covered too in our find out more section – along with further reading suggestions, audio and video.