Conditions That Can Land You In The Psych Ward

Clinical Depression

Clinical depression is sometimes called major depressive disorder and is one of the more common mental illnesses. Symptoms are severe and persistent, lasting for at least two weeks, but typically extend beyond this time. Symptoms of depression include persistent sadness, irritability, hopelessness, decreased energy and fatigue, and difficulty sleeping and concentrating. People can experience clinical depression in response to a major event in their life, such as after the birth of a baby, known as postpartum, or in response to the change in seasons, such as seasonal affective disorder or SAD.

Some individuals will experience depression that lasts for two years or more, known as dysthymia, cycling between severe and less severe symptoms. Still, others may experience depression with co-occurring symptoms of psychosis (psychotic) including delusions and hallucinations. Each of these categories can lead to an inpatient stay if the symptoms become so severe that they interfere with a person's daily life, or the person is evaluated as being a danger to themselves, as in they're suicidal, or others, as they have become homicidal.