What is Major Depressive Disorder? | Kati Morton

Today I talk about what Major Depressive Disorder is and how it is diagnosed. The DSM states that you must have depressed mood and anhedonia in order for MDD to even be considered. Then you must have at least 5 of the following for a 2 week period. 1. Depressed mood most of the day 2. Diminished pleasure or interest 3. Increased or decreased appetite 4. Increased or decreased sleep 5. Psychomoto agitation or retardation 6. Fatigue everyday 7. Feeling worthless or having inappropriate guilt 8. Diminished ability to think or concentrate 9. Recurrent thoughts of death If you find yourself having of these symptoms please reach out for help! The sooner the better, and there are so many people out there willing to listen and help, so make that call and set up that appointment!! Treatment options are therapy and medication. We find that the best results come from a combination of both, but this is your treatment and your recovery, so you get to choose what is best for you. Talk therapy and CBT therapy are found to work best. This not only allows us to vent and gain come thoughtful insight, but CBT helps us to change out faulty thinking and inject some much needed behavioral changes into our lives. So get to know your depression. How long does it last? How bad has it been? When did it start and what does it feel like to us? That way when we call our doctor or therapist we can offer up all of this information to ensure we get the proper diagnosis and treatment. I'm Kati Morton, a licensed therapist making Mental Health videos! JOURNALING CLUB! Every Tuesday & Friday I post a journal prompt to help keep you motivated and working on yourself! https://www.youtube.com/katimorton/join Ordering my book Are u ok? http://bit.ly/2s0mULy ONLINE THERAPY I do not currently offer online therapy, but I have partnered with BetterHelp who can connect you with a licensed, online counselor in your area: https://tryonlinetherapy.com/katimorton PATREON Do you want to help me support the creation of mental health videos? https://www.katimorton.com/kati-morton-patreon/ Help Caption Our Videos http://www.youtube.com/timedtext_cs_panel?c=UCzBYOHyEEzlkRdDOSobbpvw&tab=2 CONTACT Business email: [email protected] MAIL PO Box #665 1223 Wilshire Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90403 ****PLEASE READ**** If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please call a local emergency telephone number or go immediately to the nearest emergency room.