and

a blog with cultural bulimia.

Tuesday, September 09, 2003

I AM NOT DEPRESSED

My friend Aurinha, a therapist in Belo Horizonte, would always get mad at our MISAPPROPRIATION of the word 'depressed'.

She use to ask:
Did you get out of bed today?
Did you open the shades?
Did you take a shower?
Did you shave?
Did you eat today?

"Then, you're NOT depressed", she would decide.

Biology Dictionary: DEPRESSION

Definition: Depression is the mental state of excessive sadness characterized by persistently low mood or extensive loss of pleasure and interest. To be considered a clinical condition, depression symptoms must have a duration of at least 2 weeks and include: decreases or sometimes increases in weight, agitated or sluggish activity, disturbance in sleep, appetite, and concentration."