ARTICLE SERVICES            Reprint this article     Print this article       Send as an e-mail     Send Feedback       Comment on this article on our Vox Populi blog     RELATED STORIES   'Nothing is all in the mind' Benefiting from office wellness programs What yoga can do for you GALLERY 1 Next   Zoom    DR. DAVID Spiegel, professor and associate chair of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine, with Dr. Cornelio Banaag and Dr. Ricky Soler Missing Michael By Ruel S. De Vera, Associate Editor Sunday Inquirer Magazine LIKE a twist in one of his books, news of Michael Crichton’s demise arrived as a shock. No one knew the a ...More Seeing a bright future amid crisis ‘Plate it’ for women’s health Changing the way we regard our bread Building walls and walks Gastronomic treats from the north Free will Carbon footprint Showrooms at LRI Charms for the good life Amazing lace More Stories » Showbiz and Style Gastronomic treats from the north The real deal on Pablo Banila Where to get non-stick baking pans Showrooms at LRI What does your school bag say about you? 20 yummiest (commercially baked) cakes Free will Jeff Probst has survived and seen ’em all 20 yummiest (privately baked) cakes Math innovations Showbiz and Style ABS-CBN: Diether still in Star Magic More on the ‘Twilight’ movie 'Twilight' poised for box-office killing High marks for Regine’s ‘Low Key’ Madonna and Ritchie granted divorce Karylle vs Marian Ridiculous game shows Miriam Quiambao steals the show Court handbags Tommy Hilfiger cheat From screenwriter to director One heck/hack of a ride Marvs writes from Paris   Showbiz and Style Most Read RSS Hottest Tags People Lifestyle & Leisure WHAT'S THIS?                 More >>

MANILA, Philippines—Some people are just prone to negative thinking, seeing the negative side of things. That doesn't mean they're depressed; they just tend to see things on the dark side. Some people talk of mood swings, but a bipolar disorder's extreme highs and lows disrupt normal everyday functions.

A bad squabble or breakup with a loved one and feeling blue doesn't automatically qualify one to be clinically depressed. So what is depression?

Affecting 121 million people worldwide, the World Health Organization estimates that by 2020 depression will become the most prevalent illness. One out of five people will experience a major depression in their lifetime.

According to the Natasha Goulbourn Foundation, depressive disorder is an illness that involves the body, mood and thoughts-interfering with normal daily functions and affecting the mental, physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. Here are signs to look for in a depressed person:

Persistent sadness, anxiety or "empty" mood
Sleeping too much or too little
Waking up in the middle of the night unable to sleep again
Marked reduction of weight or weight-gain-eating too little or eating too much
Loss of pleasure and interest in activities once enjoyed, including sex
Restlessness, irritability
Persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment (such as chronic pain or disorder)
Difficulty concentrating, remembering or making decisions
Fatigue and loss of energy-no energy to get out of bed
Feeling guilty, hopeless or worthless
Thoughts of suicide or death

"Depressed people feel ashamed and tend to avoid physical, social contact. They feel they don't deserve attention. The worse thing you can do is to try to talk a person out of depression because that would prove you don't know how bad the situation is," Dr. David Spiegel said.

If you checked on several signs, or if you know of someone who checked on several of the signs above, please consult a doctor or a professional counselor.

Anne A. Jambora

• 'Nothing is all in the mind'
• Benefiting from office wellness programs
• What yoga can do for you

• Seeing a bright future amid crisis
• ‘Plate it’ for women’s health
• Changing the way we regard our bread
• Building walls and walks
• Gastronomic treats from the north
• Free will
• Carbon footprint
• Showrooms at LRI
• Charms for the good life
• Amazing lace
• Practical gift suggestions
• Beat water-retention weight gain
• On men, street games and ‘Kulasa’
• Sweet, hip gifts and the perfect pasta
• Culture tour of Macau
• Not so friendly to differently-abled
• Wellness not only proper diet, exercise
• Lecture on karma at 33,000 feet
• Art of the scenographer
• Here’s my early feng-shui take on 2009
• Pink Sisters hold Eucharistic Congress
• Bored wife has cyber-BF
• Food and wine galore at 'Harvest Moon'
• Ballet Philippines gala
• Awestruck at Kathmandu
• How to make leaf imprints
• I’ll always be the poor boy from Borongan who social-climbs
• Pesticides harm babies
• The secret of a classic
• Influencing behavior through the art of feng shui

• Street Smart :  Showrooms at LRI / Mandy Navasero
• Lotus Pond - Bismark :  Free will / S. Bismark
• Discovery :  Building walls and walks / Massie Santos Ballon
• Medical Files :  ‘Plate it’ for women’s health / Rafael Castillo, MD
• Without Batting An Eyelash :  On men, street games and ‘Kulasa’ / Maurice Arcache
• Makeover 911 :  Beat water-retention weight gain / Kinny Salas
• Knockout! :  Practical gift suggestions / Ria Francisco-Prieto