According to the fourth edition of the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), a typical episode of major depressive disorder lasts at least two weeks and includes most (but not necessarily all) of the following symptoms:
* a low mood: feeling sad, empty, despondent loss of interest in life
* the inability to find pleasure in activities that used to be enjoyable, including sex
* weight loss or weight gain
* trouble sleeping or excess sleeping
* feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, guilt, and worthlessness
* trouble concentrating and making decisions
* lack of energy
* anxiety
* feelings of agitation or of having slowed down
* frequent thoughts about death, self-destructive ideas, or the feeling of not wanting to live;
Some people experience these symptoms once in their lives, while others suffer from repeated bouts of major depression. This much is certain: depression is widespread. According to one estimate, at any given moment, about one person in twenty is grappling with depression, and over the course of a lifetime, one person in ten will have at least one episode of major depression.
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