As I mentioned in my last post, I would like to start to focus my blog on the condition of depression. Today I want to start by talking about how depression is diagnosed.
If you want to look at depression clinically, the “Bible” for diagnosing mental health conditions is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, also known as the DSM. Currently, the latest volume is number 5, so the most current manual is the DSM-5. In the DSM-5, you will find the diagnostic criteria for Major Depressive Disorder, which most people would commonly refer to as depression. You can find the criteria online by doing an internet search, and I am not going to repeat everything that is written in the manual, but here are some highlights:
Five or more symptoms must be present in the same 2 week period
Symptoms can include weight gain or loss, less or more sleep than normal, loss of interest in all (or almost all) activities of the day nearly every day, feelings of sadness and/or hopelessness, feelings of worthlessness, and diminished ability to concentrate, among others
Symptoms impair daily functioning
Symptoms cannot be explained by other causes such as medications or other conditions
While the DSM-5 is very thorough in its descriptions, part of me doesn’t agree that everyone will fit nicely into this box. So, in addition to the clinical picture described above, I think knowing that you are depressed can also be an intuitive and emotional flag that is no less real than following a manual. The key point is that if something feels off and you feel depressed, please seek help. It does not matter if you meet a textbook definition for depression – please check into it anyway. My hope is that while the DSM can be a helpful guide, no one considers it to be an absolute when it comes to diagnosing mental disorders.