The word
depression is both a psychiatric diagnosis and a common term used to
describe varying degrees of unhappiness. It is important ... to be able to
distinguish common anger, frustration, disgruntlement, dysphoria, or
fatigue from clinical depression with attendant neurovegetative signs and
symptoms. Patients may present complaining of depression who are merely
reacting temporarily to environmental stressors such as long work hours,
separation from their families, personal illness, etc. Another group of
patients who complain of depression have chronic, intermittent depressive
symptoms of a characteristic nature; their habitual feelings of boredom,
emptiness, worthlessness, low self-esteem, or irritability are due to
personality disorders....
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