It merely means that they have a serious depression that needs attention and professional help. T he purpose of this web page is to acquaint you with the types of depression and other mood disorders, the symptoms that are usually present, and what can be done to get help. There is also information about what families or friends can do to help a depressed person. Normal sadness usually does not affect all areas of a person's life and goes away in a few hours or days. Sometimes a shopping trip or being with friends will cause sadness to disappear.
Clinical depression lasts for much longer periods of time and has more symptoms.
The rule of thumb is that if sadness lasts for longer than two weeks, it is probably clinical depression. This type of depression often interferes with everyday functioning. Clinical depression is a serious disorder which needs to be evaluated by a professional and usually requires some form of treatment. This form of depression is usually associated with some loss or perceived loss, such as loss of job, divorce, death, breakup of a relationship, or children leaving home. Biological depression - is caused by a chemical imbalance in the neurochemistry of the brain and is not associated with events occurring in a person's life.