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What is depression?

What is depression?

You don't have your day, you feel depressed and gloomy, typically an off day. One that we all have from time to time. But what if such an off day doesn't pass and you feel down for days?

Maybe you are depressed? But what exactly is depression? We asked psychologist Merel Hovestad.

What is depression?

Depression is a psychological disorder in which you suffer from the following complaints:

  • Drowsy feelings
  • Feelings of guilt
  • To struggle emotionally with loss experience
  • Sleep problems
  • Eating problems

In depression, this gloomy mood lasts longer than 2 weeks. We often also see that during this period people do not laugh, experience no pleasure and have little energy.

Read also: How to recognize depression

Merel explains it again in the video below.

{{video poster=http://www.sante.nl/app/uploads/2019/02/depression.jpg src=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlC7ETFl0Zk}}

The difference between feelings of depression and depression

The big difference between feelings of depression and a real depression is that with a depression you will suffer from the above complaints for 2 weeks. So it's not just a bad afternoon or a gloomy morning. Having depressed feelings is more a state of being and that is different from losing reactivity, something you suffer from when you are depressed.

Read also: There are 5 different types of depression

Seek help in time when you are depressed

It is very important to seek help in time when you suffer from depression. The longer you wait to seek help, the longer your depression can last. For more information, visit the Brain Foundation website.

Text:Jolien van der Kamp-Gielleit | Image:Shutterstock