Whats the difference between being 'Depressed' and 'Clinically Depressed'?

[Jeanette]

I am curious as to what the differences are.  My understanding is apparently not correct.  They are both depression, but that clinically depressed would mean that the patient would stay in the hospital for a period of time because they are a threat to themselves and/or others??? A friend of mine's mother was "clinically depressed" but was not hospitalized for a little while because they (the hospital) didn't think she was a severe case.... apparently she was because she committed suicide on sunday evening.  Leaving behind two young daughters.  They have no contact with their father, and no aunts or uncles.  It is horrible.  She is so concerned with bills, the house....... They are devastated.  Her youngest daughter who is 11 found her hanging.  The oldest is 19.  Very sad, heartbreaking actually.
She obviously should have stayed in the hospital, and she asked to stay there..... but they refused because there were more "serious cases" and they needed the bed.

[Doggies4]

I am on Effexor XR and it is the best antidepressant I have ever tried.  I have been on many, many including Celexa, Paxil, and Prozac.  I love Effexor.  Hang in there!  There are people who love you and life is worth the living when you are no longer feeling depressed.

[lyss]

Hi this is Lyss I have been depressed for the last 17 years and I understand the effect that it has on my daughter when mummy is not feeling well and says she would like to be dead. and doctors here are all the same they treat you when you are at the end of your rope  then as soon as you seem to be better" Here take this and call me in month." :( real helpfull. I just wish the they would understand that all depression is the same IT AFFECTS LIFE.
I have been though everything from sexual abuse to physical and depending on other people and love relationships gone bad or lost. I have been on everything and now I m'trying effexor xr from zoloft 200mg. I hope it works and If there is anyone who has been on this please let me know if it works.

thanks i needed this

lyss

[Doggies4]

I have been told that I am clinically depressed.  Actually, I always thought it meant a chemical imbalance causing depression regardless of outward circumstances.  Like, everything in my life can be going well, but I have periods of time that my depression gets horrendous.  Also, I have an underlying constant depression that has been helped by therapy.  I am on medication and my doctor says I will have to take it the rest of my life. I have been hospitalized about 12 times.  

What a tragic story.  Even more tragic is the little girl seeing her mother.

Too bad that insurance and the hospitals have changed so much.  There was a time that one stayed in order to get better.  Now it seems to be just a place for someone whose suicide is imminent. And maybe two days after it seems to have passed, because of insurance, one is kicked out.

How sad.

[s.k]

Hmm- From experience, I can tell you that being "sad" and being "clinically depressed" is much more that severity.

Severe temporary saddness may show some of the signs of depression. Like weapy, lack of energy, lack of interest in things you normaly enjoy. However, it never loses site of what you are sad about and it is always an appropriate response.

No, I know that everyone responds to things differently. However someone who loses her fathaer may be upset, feel guilty and wish not to go outside for a few weeks, but when she does it helps, but this person never looses sight of her fathers loss. Her self esteme is not effected, she continues to go to work and provide for her family, even though perhaps her performance may be affected she is still capible of dealing with life. No, time alone will not completely heal the loss, but she will in a short period of time return to herself. Perhaps a person with similar circumstances may start out this way, but the difference is that this woman is unable to let herselff heal. Over time she looses all interest in doing things she enjoys, she may even stop liking to do them, and very little can make things substantially better. This person will markedly show loss in her performance at work. She may feel "stupid" or "worthless", and maybe she will be lead to attempting to hurt herself. She may have given up socializing entirely, unplugging her phones and staying indoors.  

While the first woman dealt with her loss in a somewhat severe but still very appropriate way. However the second woman lost touch with what she was upset about. She may have spent much time thinking about her father, but most of her time is spent worrying about issues that are not in her control or are so trivial they are simply not worrying about. The first woman found ways to help her depression with more than just momentary results. The second woman found it very hard to truelly feel good again. The first woman never doubted her self value and that she will eventually be herself again. The other woman began to think thoughts that had nothing to do with her fathers death, such as questioning her self value, and shehonestly doubts that things will every be OK.

My experience with depression is that it is all inclusive, not just more severe. It effects the entire aspect of a person. Think of it like this, severe depression is like a concreate box. Nothing can penetrate it except medication/therapy. Saddness is like a blanket. While at times you might find yourself being covered in it, you can always take it off from over your head and do what needs to get done.

What I wrote here might sound like it is a simple issue of severity. However, I can, and many others who have disorders which require accurate monitoring and early intervention, detect clinical depression verses normal saddness. If it were a matter of more severe issues and not thought-process or behaviors being an issue of severity would not be true in early episodes.

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

MY god, what a terrible tragedy. Its sometimes very difficult to assess the degree of suicide intent, but certainly, that should have been uppermost in everyone's mind if she was clinically depressed. Clinically depressed is just an expression, not a diagnosis, except that it differentiates the everyday depression from one that is serious and requires active treatment.