A period of depressed mood that lasts for several days or a few weeks is often just a normal part of life and is not necessarily a cause for concern. Although these feelings are often referred to as depression, they typically do not constitute a clinical depression because the symptoms are relatively mild and only last for a short period of time. Moreover, milder periods of depression are often related to specific stressful life events and improvement frequently coincides with the reduction or elimination of the stressor.

A person experiencing a clinical depression, however, experiences substantial changes in their mood, thinking, behaviors, activities and self-perceptions. A depressed person often has difficulty making decisions, for example, and the day-to-day tasks of paying bills, attending classes, reading assignments, and returning phone calls may seem overwhelming.

A depressed person may also dwell on negative thoughts, focus on unpleasant experiences, describe themselves as a failure, report that things are hopeless, and feel as though they are a burden to others. The changes in mood brought on by depression frequently result in feelings of sadness, irritability, anger, emptiness, and/or anxiety and may even lead to thoughts of suicide.

There are also different types of depression, including Bipolar Disorder, in which depressive episodes alternate with manic or hypomanic episodes which may include feelings of agitation and euphoria. A severe or long-term depressive episode can substantially wear down self-esteem and may result in thoughts of death and even attempts of suicide.

If you would like more information on what to do about depression go to ChronicPainManagement.Blog.Com to read my blog on Chronic Pain Management and Coping with Depression.

To better understand the importance of addressing depression in chronic pain management please check out my article, Depression Management with the Chronic Pain Patient, that you can download for free on our Ariticles page.

You can learn more about the Addiction-Free Pain Management® System at our website www.addiction-free.com. If you are working with people undergoing chronic pain management and want to learn how to develop a plan for managing their chronic pain and coexisting psychological disorders including depression, addiction and other coexisting psychological disorders effectively please consider my book Managing Pain and Coexisting Disorders: Using the Addiction-Free Pain Management® System. To purchase this book please Click Here.

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