Clinical Depression

Clinical depression is another term for endogenous depression. In clinical depression the affected individual displays enough signs and symptoms to meet the DSM-IV (the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) for depression. Please see DSM-IV on this website, and the author will give you his opinion of the DSM-IV text. Clinical or endogenous depression has a fairly high mortality rate. Anywhere from 10-15% of affected individuals will commit suicide. Indi viduals who have been admitted to nursing homes have a much higher risk for suicidal tendencies within the first year.

Individuals who have been diagnosed with a major medical illness such as myocardial infarction (heart attack), diabetes, cancer or stroke are more likely to experience clinical depression. This now begs the question: While some individuals diagnosed with a major medical illness experience clinical depression, others do not. What is the difference in these individuals? This question lends some credence to a potential hereditary factor. Dr. Carl Hammerschlag, Phoenix, Arizona, has addressed this issue, and has written numerous books over the course of the last 20 years in the area of psychoneuroimmunology, which intertwine Native American spirituality and mental health. Dr. Hammerschlag believes it is not the stressor that causes the anxiety or depression, but rather how one comes to the event. How a stressor is approached determines one’s ability to successfully cope with that stressor.

Causes of Clinical Depression

From the obvious environment stressors that cause depression, other areas that may elicit a depressive episode may include:

1. Impaired synethsis of neurotransmitters;
2. Strong family history of alcoholism or substance abuse;
3. Chronic disease, especially multiple diseases;
4. Migraine headaches;
5. Other physiological diseases including endocrine;
6. Peptic ulcer disease;
7. Insomnia;
8. Advancing age;
9. Recent myocardial infarction;
10. Serious illness such as cancer;
11. Retirement;
12. Children with behavior disorders, especially hyperactivity;
13. Menopause;
14. Loss in one’s life;
15. Transitions in one’s life (moving from one place to another);
16. Loss of peers and social networks.

Clinical Depression Symptoms

Anywhere from 5-20% of individuals will experience some type or level of depression during their lives, Depression fluctuates in severity and range. Following is a list of commonly found symptoms of clinical depression. Only a few are listed, and in no way encompass all symptoms one may see. Please see the article on Depression on Peace and Healing.com, for more specific criteria to reach a DSM IV diagnosis in this area:

1. Depressed mood;
2. Anhedonia, which is a loss of interest in activities;
3. Fatigue;
4. Psychomotor agitation;
5. Restlessness;
6. Irritability;
7. Withdrawal;
8. Poor self image;
9. Excessive guilt;
10. Difficulty concentrating;
11. Poor memory;
12. Difficulty making decisions;
13. Suicidal ideation;
14. Past suicide attempts;
15. Accompanying anxiety;
16. Multiple complaints of physiological pain, chronic pain.