Recession, in terms

Depression, a state of melancholia, unhappiness or sadness, or to a relatively minor downturn in mood that may last only a few hours or days.

This is generally seen as quite distinct from the diagnosis of clinical depression. However, if depressed mood lasts at least two weeks, and is accompanied by other symptoms that interfere with daily living, it may be seen as a symptom of clinical depression, dysthymia or some other diagnosable mental illness, or alternatively as sub-syndromal depression.

Depression is suffering, sometimes seen as mental echoes of physical pain. Other somatic expressions can be a sense of "dispirited", or "lagging" or being weighed down, and a heaviness in breathing, expressed as broken or despondent sighs. It may also be associated with apathy, boredom, hollowness and lack of any positive source of interest or joy.

External affective signs of depressed mood also include a physical hunching or stooping, or putting the head in the hands, and an appearance of being physically subdued, and flatness of speech.

See Also Grief, Melancholia, Angst, or even EMO…