Mental Depression

Overview of Depression
Feeling sad is a common experience, and not everyone who occasionally feels sad is depressed. In fact, distinguishing between normal feelings and the pathology of mood disorders can be difficult without some knowledge of the criteria used to define abnormal states.

Depressive disorders are syndromes-constellations of signs and symptoms. Major depression is a term used to describe the condition in which there may be depressed mood (feeling blue or down), loss of interest and pleasure (anhedonia), and/or some of the following:

Physical symptoms frequently accompany depression and may be more readily reported by patients to their medical care providers. These include pain, headaches, dizziness, palpitation, muscle tension, gastrointestinal problems, and sexual dysfunction.