
Signs You Need Help
If you are clinically depressed (have major depression) you would experience at least five or more of the following symptoms during the same two-week period. If you can answer “yes” to five or more symptoms, you are urged to seek professional help.
- Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day (In children or adolescents, this can be an irritable mood.)
- Reduced interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities most of the day, nearly every day
- Significant weight loss when not dieting, or weight gain (change of more than 5 percent of body weight in a month, OR decrease or increase in appetite nearly every day (In children, this can be failure to make expected weight gains.)
- Insomnia or hypersomnia (too little or too much sleep) nearly every day
- Physical agitation or lack of physical activity nearly every day ( observable by others)
- Fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day
- Feelings of worthlessness or excessive inappropriate guilt nearly every day ( this is more than self-reproach or guilt about being sick)
- Reduced ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness nearly every day (either by subjective account or as observed by others.)
- Recurrent thoughts of death (not just fear of dying); thinking about suicide (link here to suicide prevention section...) without a specific plan; a suicide attempt or a specific plan for committing suicide.
—-From Diagnostic Criteria, DSM-IV, American Psychiatric Association
For more information on C4 services, or to set up an appointment, call 773.769.0205.
If you are feeling actively suicidal or homicidal, please go to your nearest Emergency Room for an evaluation