Symptoms of Depression

The DSM-5 outlines the following criterion to make a diagnosis of depression. The individual must be experiencing five or more symptoms during the same 2-week period and at least one of the symptoms should be either (1) depressed mood or (2) loss of interest or pleasure.

• Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day.
• Markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities most of the day, nearly every day.
• Significant weight loss when not dieting or weight gain, or decrease or increase in appetite nearly every day.
• A slowing down of thought and a reduction of physical movement (observable by others, not merely subjective feelings of restlessness or being slowed down).
• Fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day.
• Feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt nearly every day.
• Diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness, nearly every day.
• Recurrent thoughts of death, recurrent suicidal ideation without a specific plan, or a suicide attempt or a specific plan for committing suicide.

To receive a diagnosis of depression, these symptoms must cause the individual clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. The symptoms must also not be a result of substance abuse or another medical condition.

​We are here to help!

Finding Help
​Maybe you've noticed a change in your own mood or maybe you're worried about a loved one. Maybe you've noticed tearfulness, irritability, a lack of motivation or little interest in important aspects of life. Or perhaps what you notice is that joy and happiness have been hard to find. If you think you or a loved one may be experiencing depression, treatment is availed that can help. 

The treatment for depression depends a lot on the specific diagnosis as well as the severity of the depressive symptoms. Depending on the diagnosis and severity, treatment can include any number of interventions including exercise, medication, psychotherapy, Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and many others. The therapists at Belmont Psych are all trained to identify and diagnose all of the mood disorders. They are also proficient in the use of Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), which is considered the psychotherapy of choice for the treatment of depression.

Therapy Is More Than A Conversation  
Some critics of psychotherapy have likened the role of the therapist to a friend who is paid to sit and chit chat with clients about their lives or just listen while people complain.  And while some therapists do perhaps provide little more than emotional support, the role of the Cognitive Behavior Therapist is different.  CBT involves providing a great deal of education, helping clients to remember and use that education, teaching concrete skills, and tracking progress to confirm that patients are benefitting.  It is our hope that by reviewing the information provided on this website, that anyone who is interested in our services, or in any therapist's services for that matter, is able to appreciate the difference it makes to work with well-trained Cognitive Behavior Therapists. 

Please call us at 562-799-6700 or email us at belmontshorepsych@gmail.com and schedule an appointment.    ​