Def: Depression:

(extracted from http://www.journeyofhearts.org/jofh/kirstimd/formal.htm "Loss, Change & Grief".. only the points referring to current feelings and thoughts)

For a diagnosis of a (major) depression:

1. At least 5 of the following symptoms.
2. These symptoms must be present during the same 2 week period.
3. These symptoms must represent a change from a previous level of functioning.

-Depressed mood, nearly every day during most of the day.
-Marked diminished interest or pleasure in almost all activities.
-Fatigue or loss of energy.
-Feelings of worthlessness or inappropriate guilt.
-Impaired ability to concentrate or indecisiveness

Signs and Symptoms - General Terms:

-Loss of interest in formerly pleasurable activities
-Dissatisfaction with life (!!!)
-Withdrawal from social activities
-Loss of energy
-Feeling useless or hopeless
-Irritability
-Great concern with health problems
-Sadness or crying
-Worry and/or self-criticism
-Difficulty concentrating and/or making decisions

Psychological symptoms (Feelings, thoughts and behaviors):

-Feeling sad, blue, depressed, or hopeless most of the day.
-Greatly reduced interest or pleasure in all or almost all activities; inability to think of anything that would be enjoyable to do.
-Feelings of excessive guilt, or a feeling that one is a worthless person.
[-Slowed or agitated movements (not in response to pain or discomfort)]
-Recurrent thoughts of dying or of ending one's own life, with or without a specific plan. (just kept this one cuz i thought it's funny.. lol)

Physical or "Somatic" Symptoms:

-Fatigue and loss of energy
-A diminished ability to think, concentrate, or make decisions

Why all this? School? the effects Abi has on Friends? Family? your entire social life?? i guess right now i'm too "fatigue" to think about that.. but what if it is? can we change that? is change even possible in this case? hmm.. i guess we'll just have to wait and see..