Symptoms II: Depression and mixed episodes

The goal of Session 5 is to convey to our patients the idea that depression is a medical illness, moving away from pejorative social considerations or popular meanings associated with the term that lead one to believe that depression is caused by a person's surroundings and that it can be resolved by the person him or herself, without needing to consult a professional or receive treatment. Therefore, we will impart just the opposite message: depression is an illness or – the point in case – part of an illness that has clearly defined biological causes and generally requires pharmacological treatment. We will again insist on the need to differentiate normal emotions from pathological ones.