In the field of psychiatry the terms depression or depressed are used in both the ordinary, non-clinical sense and to refer specifically to pathology, especially when the mood of depression has reached a level of severity and/or duration that warrants a clinical diagnosis. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) states that a depressed mood is often reported as being: "... depressed, sad, hopeless, discouraged, or 'down in the dumps'." In traditional colloquy, "depressed" is often synonymous with "sad," but both clinical and non-clinical depression can also refer to a conglomeration of more than one feeling. Such a mixture can include (but is not limited to) anger, fear, anxiety, despair, guilt, apathy, and/or grief, in addition to what many people would describe as typical "sadness."

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Author's Bio: 

This definition is part of a series that covers the topic of Depression. The Official Guide to Depression is Julia Sorensen.

Julia is an integrative Cognitive Behavioral Therapist who will help you to look at your negative head chatter, your beliefs, and help you to transcend the negativity of painful feelings so that you can live your best life.

I help people just like you turn around the way they think about themselves, their lives, their love for life... Free resources at www.thecbtcoach.com

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