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1.16 DEPRESSED PERSONALITY -- PSYCHOLOGY ABUSE TERMS, CONCEPTS

==== Depressed Personality

MEANING: A person who is unmotivated, seems to have lost interest in life, has trouble working, is unhappy, despairing, miserable and may appear to be suffering from a loss. Symptoms can be mild or severe or go unnoticed for years while causing the person to be irritable and difficult.

PERSONAL NOTE FROM RICK DOBLE: Depression is a real disease and problem. Mild forms of depression, especially those caused by loss, might be treated with talk therapy. More severe forms may require medication which has now become quite sophisticated and can come close to curing severe depression in some people. Everyone is depressed at some time, especially after a loss or when suffering a blow to one's self-esteem. It is one of the normal and necessary stages of grief and may end of its own accord. Yet a long term depression is not healthy and should be dealt with.

RELEVANCE TO ABUSE: An abusive relationship can make you depressed and you may not understand why. Some abusive people are depressed and are irritable and short tempered much of the time. In this case, treatment might be part of the cure to their abusive behavior.

PERSONAL NOTE FROM RICK DOBLE: My relationship with my abusive 1st wife made me quite depressed for several years before I found the courage to leave. She was also depressed much of the time, but refused to seek any professional help.

RELATED WORDS AND PHRASES: depression, down in the dumps, blue, loss

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