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Table of Contents

Symptoms

Causes

Diagnosis

Treatment

Coping

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Chronic depression is when you experience the symptoms of depression frequently or continuously over a long time, often for years, saysAimee Daramus, PsyD, a licensed clinical psychologist.

Depressionis a serious mental health condition that can cause you to feel sad and low, to the extent that it can affect your ability to eat, sleep, work, think, and function.

Chronic depression is a form of depression that persists for a long time. If you think you may have chronic depression, you’re not alone. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), close to 5% of adults regularly experience feelings ofdepression.

This article explores the symptoms, causes, and diagnosis of chronic depression, as well as some treatment options and coping strategies that may be helpful.

Symptoms of Chronic Depression

These are some of the symptoms of chronic depression, according to Dr. Daramus:

If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call911.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call911.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

Causes of Chronic Depression

These are some of the potential causes of chronic depression, according to Dr. Daramus:

Aimee Daramus, PsyD

Diagnosing Chronic Depression

It’s important to note that chronic depression isn’t anofficial diagnosis, rather, it can occur when you have any form of depression that lasts for a long time.

According to Dr. Daramus, these are some of the forms of depression that may persist for months or years, to the extent that they become chronic conditions:

A psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker, or masters' level therapist can diagnose chronic depression and offer treatment solutions, says Dr. Daramus. “It’s best to go to someone with a specialty in depression or other mental illnesses.”

The diagnostic process may involve a clinical interview that covers your medical history and your symptoms, says Dr. Daramus. She explains that in addition to asking about symptoms of depression, your healthcare provider may also ask about symptoms of trauma or bipolar disorder.

Your healthcare provider may also prescribe blood work or other tests, to rule outother potential causes of depression, such as low thyroid levels or irregular hormone levels, explains Dr. Daramus.

Treating Chronic Depression

Listed below are some of the forms oftreatmentthat can help with chronic depression. Therapy and medication are the most common forms of treatment—they may be used either independently of each other or at the same time, says Dr. Daramus.

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Coping With Chronic Depression

Dr. Daramus shares some strategies that can help you cope with chronic depression:

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A Word From Verywell

Chronic depression can persist for many years. It may be mild, moderate, or severe, or it may even cycle between periods of higher and lower intensity. It’s important to seek treatment for it and work on developing coping skills to help you deal with it, so you can start to feel better.

7 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Cleveland Clinic.Depression.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.FastStats: Depression.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Major depression.American Psychiatric Association.What is depression?Ebert DD, Buntrock C, Mortier P, et al.Prediction of major depressive disorder onset in college students.Depress Anxiety. 2019;36(4):294-304. doi:10.1002/da.22867Mount Sinai.Depression.Rosenblat JD, Kurdyak P, Cosci F, et al.Depression in the medically ill.Aust N Z J Psychiatry.2020;54(4):346-366. doi:10.1177/0004867419888576Additional ReadingNational Institute of Mental Health.Depression.

7 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Cleveland Clinic.Depression.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.FastStats: Depression.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Major depression.American Psychiatric Association.What is depression?Ebert DD, Buntrock C, Mortier P, et al.Prediction of major depressive disorder onset in college students.Depress Anxiety. 2019;36(4):294-304. doi:10.1002/da.22867Mount Sinai.Depression.Rosenblat JD, Kurdyak P, Cosci F, et al.Depression in the medically ill.Aust N Z J Psychiatry.2020;54(4):346-366. doi:10.1177/0004867419888576Additional ReadingNational Institute of Mental Health.Depression.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Cleveland Clinic.Depression.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.FastStats: Depression.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Major depression.American Psychiatric Association.What is depression?Ebert DD, Buntrock C, Mortier P, et al.Prediction of major depressive disorder onset in college students.Depress Anxiety. 2019;36(4):294-304. doi:10.1002/da.22867Mount Sinai.Depression.Rosenblat JD, Kurdyak P, Cosci F, et al.Depression in the medically ill.Aust N Z J Psychiatry.2020;54(4):346-366. doi:10.1177/0004867419888576

Cleveland Clinic.Depression.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.FastStats: Depression.

Johns Hopkins Medicine.Major depression.

American Psychiatric Association.What is depression?

Ebert DD, Buntrock C, Mortier P, et al.Prediction of major depressive disorder onset in college students.Depress Anxiety. 2019;36(4):294-304. doi:10.1002/da.22867

Mount Sinai.Depression.

Rosenblat JD, Kurdyak P, Cosci F, et al.Depression in the medically ill.Aust N Z J Psychiatry.2020;54(4):346-366. doi:10.1177/0004867419888576

National Institute of Mental Health.Depression.

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