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? DID YOU KNOW? According to the World Health Organization, depression is the leading cause of disability in the world.

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depression. We’ll also talk about strategies for battling depression ourselves. First, let’s look at the different types of depression that can occur. This chapter will cover the two main types.

Major Depressive Disorder The type of depression called major depressive disorder is probably what most people think of when they talk about

depression. Doctors use a specific set of criteria to make a diagnosis. If someone has at least five of the following symptoms for several weeks, he or she is

experiencing a major depressive episode (MDE):

• feeling sad, empty, or hopelessness, most of the time on most days • loss of interest in activities that used to be enjoyable • noticeable weight loss or weight gain (usually a loss or gain of at least 5 percent of body weight) • difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much • low energy on most days • feeling worthless or guilty with no obvious reason why

• difficulty thinking or making decisions • regular thoughts of death or suicide

Opposite: Depression can change a person’s relationship to food. Some depressed people eat a lot more, while others don’t feel like eating much at all.

These symptoms can be subjective , meaning they are reported by the person experiencing them. They can also be objective , meaning that the changes are noticed by family, friends, or teachers. Often, mental health professionals use a combination of subjective and objective observations. For