🔼: [[💡 Depression]] # Major Depressive Disorder [[🔑 Psychiatric diagnoses are almost useless]] A diagnoses that leads to episodes of [[💡 Depression]]. Characterized as a persistent sadness or low mood that lasts for at least 2 weeks to about a year. Major Depressive Disorder has nine symptoms, and to get a diagnoses you need at least five of them: 1. Low Mood - feeling down, sad, irritable, angry. 2. Anhedonia - being suddenly unable to enjoy things you normally would enjoy. 3. Negative Self-Attitude - guilt, worthlessness, feeling like a burden, hopelessness. 4. Suicidal Thinking - being fine with the idea of being dead, thinking your family, friends, or the world would be better without you. 5. Low Concentration - you try to watch things, study, or read a book, but can't focus on it. 6. Low Energy - difficulty getting out of bed, feeling like your limbs are made of lead, like you're walking through mud. 7. Changes in Appetite - either increased appetite and weight gain, or decreased appetite and weight loss 8. Changes in Sleep - Hypersomnia or Insomnia; difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep; early morning awakening - waking up at 4am or 5am with a racing mind with anxiety and negative self-attitude 9. Psycho-Motor Changes - feeling restless, wringing hands, fidgety; slowed down, sluggish If you have less than five, there's a good chance they're being caused by something other than MDD. Anhedonia, Negative Self-Attitude, and Early-Morning Awakening are all quite specific to MDD. If you think you may have MDD, get evaluated. Don't use this to diagnose yourself. [^1]: [[📖 🟠 Dr. K's Guide to Mental Health]] - Features of Clinical Depression