Updated January 2026
Welcome to class, everyone!
Here we explore mental health awareness by seeking to understand various diagnoses found within the holy bible of psychology, the DSM-V.
Today’s class topic: Depression
What is Depression?
Before the Covid pandemic began in 2020, 8.5 percent of Americans recorded experiencing depression. It tripled to 27.8 when the pandemic hit, and the numbers continued climbing into 2021 at 32.8 percent.
And it’s no wonder: people are not able to live long-term in a pandemic-ridden mindset without unwanted side effects.
Depression is one of the most common mental disorders in the United States, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Within the holy bible of psychology, the DSM-V, it categorizes it as a mood disorder. If it’s severe enough to cause significant distress and impacts an individual’s daily life, mental health professionals will first rule out possible causes: they ask for medical history, for a medical and physical test to be conducted to see if symptoms are a byproduct of another issue, and a full mental health examination to screen for multiple potential causes to find the root of the issue.
With depression, there are nine listed criteria within the DSM-V. Symptoms must include one or both of the following: a reported or observed depressed mood, or a reported or observed loss of interest or pleasure in almost all activities one once enjoyed.
Other symptoms may include: sleep disturbance, significant weight loss or gain, significant gain or loss in appetite, psychomotor changes, fatigue or decreased daily efficiency, a sense of worthlessness and/or intense guilt, an impaired reported ability to think, concentrate, and make decisions, and recurrent thoughts of death or suicidal ideation.
Five of these remaining nine criteria must be observed or reported to persist longer than two weeks.
Is it Sadness or Depression?
Where is the line drawn, then, between what you’re feeling is sadness and what professionals in the mental health field would label as depression?
Typically, sadness has a reason. There is a trigger: the death of a loved one, the loss of a job or a relationship, or the sudden passing of a beloved pet – feelings of sadness are expected to accompany major live events as well as minor ones. Normal routines may be disrupted for a time, but they are still upheld when the initial trigger passes, and the feeling fades with the knowledge of knowing it will ease with time.
Depression, however, persists regardless of if there is a discernible reason or not. It lingers longer than sadness does, and the symptoms may worsen over time if left untreated. It affects the individual’s life, and the longer time goes on, it could end up affecting those closest to them. Missed calls. Unanswered texts. Not hearing from them for weeks on end, and wondering if they’ve left the house at all.
One is considered expected; the other causes concern – and rightfully so.
The Root
Within the mental health sphere, it is helpful to know what type of depression one is experiencing in order to treat it effectively. The most common types are Major Depression and Persistent Depressive Disorder.
Major Depression symptoms affect your daily activities for at least two weeks. Persistent Depressive Disorder (AKA dysthymia or dysthymic disorder) is less severe in symptoms, but it generally lasts longer, with the benchmark of lasting at least two years.
There is also Seasonal Affective Disorder – more commonly known as seasonal depression, where it usually starts in late fall and early winter and ceases during the spring and summer. The lack of sunlight and increase of grey or dark days is thought to impact this particular depression symptoms’ severity.
The root of depression depends on a variety of factors, and who the individual is. It may be genetic, biological, environmental, or psychological, or a combination of these.
The Presentation
Depression looks different with every individual, even with similar criteria warranting a diagnosis from a professional.
It messes with eating and sleeping patterns. One day it is like the flea on a grizzly bear, and the next day it is the grizzly bear itself. The disorder weaponizes the inner critic within: deafening with all the limited beliefs one has about themselves, and purposely pushing away anything that might contradict it. It persists for extended periods of time, and it hides behind the guise of “it’s just sadness” and can leave one wondering if it will ever truly go away.
A weight pulls down on one’s chest, or the sense of hopelessness doesn’t cease, or one feels trapped at the bottom of a well with no escape in sight.
And to everyone else, you might appear just fine. It is very easy for it to hide in plain sight.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Because life is…well, life, most cases resulting in depression cannot be prevented, but it can be effectively managed and alleviated through long term treatment. Psychotherapy, known as talk therapy, is a useful tool to recognize and change troubling thoughts, emotions, and patterns. Support groups may be recommended to assist with coping strategies and the healing process. After all, it is easier to make depression struggle with you when you feel you are not alone in the fight.
Medication is not a route for everyone, but it is a suitable option. Antidepressants may help control symptoms though they may take time to work, have side effects, and it could take a few tries of different medicines to see which one works best. Talk with a physician to see if this path works best for you.
Additional Tips
If therapy is not an affordable option now or in the near future, making some lifestyle changes can alleviate symptoms over time. The common tips are getting regular exercise, having a consistent sleep schedule, and controlling stress.
Baby steps to reach these goals could include: focusing on small, manageable goals like getting out of bed at a specific time everyday or taking a ten-minute walk every other day. Do one thing that gives you progress. Celebrate that you made that step, regardless of what you think and what others think.
Any small amount of progress is still progress.
Journaling can help track moods, assist with planning structured routines to combat stagnation, and help you notice small patterns and triggers. Once you know your habits, it makes it simpler to sketch out a plan of baby steps to change those into ones that not only help ease the depression symptoms but give a sense of accomplishment.
Remember that you are not alone.
Class dismissed.