Eastern Virginia Medical School Depression is a term that is often used loosely in conversation. Some use the term to describe a temporary state of feeling sad or blue. I'm Dr. Yaacov Pushkin, an associate professor of clinical psychiatry at Eastern Virginia Medical School.
Depressive symptoms occur on a spectrum ranging from normal to abnormal.
Symptoms such as tearfulness, sadness, and social withdrawal may occur normally in the context of grief following the loss of a loved one. These symptoms are generally short-lived and are expected. Major Depressive Disorder is a common type of abnormal depression in which a person experiences a number of symptoms over a period of weeks to months. These symptoms include depressed mood, loss of interest or pleasure, sleep and appetite disturbance, and difficulty with concentration or decision making. One may also experience energy loss, feelings of guilt, and thoughts of death or suicide.