"Depression" Difficult to Diagnose Based on Simple Feelings Alone, Professional Consultation Needed
Recently, not only health information programs but also entertainment shows, dramas, and even SNS content frequently address the issue of depression among modern people. When listening, it often feels like it could be one's own story and seems depressing, but it is often difficult to distinguish whether it is truly depression or if it is severe enough to require a hospital visit.
Especially for modern people exposed to various stresses, it is common to experience some degree of sadness, but it has been difficult to determine whether these feelings can be considered a disease.
Often, when people experience sadness or emotional pain due to various events in daily life, the term depression is used. However, these feelings are generally temporary and cannot be diagnosed as a disease called depression.
Depression refers to a state in which stress caused by various factors such as genetics, psychosocial, neurobiological, and physical illnesses causes an imbalance of neurotransmitters between nerve cells in the brain, leading to a decline in mood along with a general decrease in mental functions such as motivation, interest, sleep, behavior, and thought processes.
Furthermore, this state must persist for at least two weeks and significantly interfere with daily life to be diagnosed as the psychiatric disorder called ‘major depressive disorder.’
There are various diseases accompanied by depressive feelings. These include persistent depressive disorder, which involves milder depressive feelings lasting for several years; premenstrual dysphoric disorder, which presents with lethargy, anxiety, anger, and decreased concentration before menstruation; substance use disorders caused by drugs; and bipolar disorder, a type of mood disorder.
In addition, depressive feelings can accompany neurological diseases such as dementia, epilepsy, and Parkinson’s disease, as well as chronic diseases and cancer.
▲Feeling depressed all day ▲Loss of interest in most activities ▲Weight loss or gain ▲Insomnia or hypersomnia ▲Restlessness interfering with daily life ▲Fatigue ▲Frequent self-blame ▲Decreased thinking and concentration ▲Repeated thoughts of death?if these abnormal symptoms show a significant difference from before or persist for more than two weeks, it is essential to visit a psychiatric clinic to check mental health status.
After a depression diagnosis, treatments such as medication and psychotherapy can be administered to alleviate symptoms. Most antidepressants are known to carry no risk of complications or addiction. In the case of medication treatment, even if symptoms improve after taking the medication, there is a risk of relapse, so it is advisable to undergo sufficient medication treatment through consultation with a specialist.
Dr. Yoo Young-seon, head of the Department of Psychiatry at Daedong Hospital, advised, “Not all feelings of sadness in daily life can be considered depression, and depressive feelings may be due to other diseases. Therefore, if depressive feelings persist or interfere with daily life, it is better to visit a nearby psychiatric clinic and consult with medical staff rather than making a judgment alone.”
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