im not sure

I think it has to do with the depth & intensity of the bad feelings and the duration.

If you find out please share... :( I am lost. No medical ins. so no doctors.

To me what defines the two is if it is reoccurring. Also if it comes during the good times in your life. WHere there is no reason to be sad or feeling depression symptoms.

The biggest difference between a depressed mood and major depression is the severity, and how long it lasts.

If your depression lasts longer than two weeks and/or is very severe (strong thoughts of death and/or suicide) then you are aiming more towards major depression rather than more normal everyday depression that most people experience from time to time.

Depression of either type can be caused by a life changing situation (death in family, job loss, major health change, divorce, etc.)

Or, it can be caused by a natural imbalance in brain chemistry, or a combination of both.

here are some symptoms of depression in general. They apply to both kinds of depression:

Weight loss or weight gain (more than 5 lbs or so); sleep disturbance - either sleeping too much or not enough; slowness, clumbsiness in motor (voluntary) activity (ie: lots of typos when you're typing); feeling hopeless, worthless, excessively guilty, thoughts of death/suicide, wishing to be dead, suicide attempts, etc. Loss of energy, fatigue; difficulty concentrating, short term memory loss; losing interest in things you normally enjoy, and isolating yourself. Being overoccupied with projects and activities is also a sign.



If you have major depression, antidepressants and therapy both are the most often recommended treatment to manage it. and the longer you wait, the more difficult it is to get it under control.

So if your depression is not going away on its own after a couple of weeks, it would be a good idea to see your Dr. about what to do.

clinical depression lasts longer and is more severe. seasonal depression only comes around every once in a while

Bumping