Everyone becomes sad or low at some point in their life. However, simply being sad or feeling down does not qualify as clinical depression. According to WebMD, when feelings of sadness, helplessness, hopelessness, and worthlessness last for many days, weeks, months, and even years, you may be suffering from the medical condition known as depression. Such feelings can make it difficult to perform everyday tasks, attend work, or adequately perform any type of work.

According to WebMD and the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5), a handbook that describes mental illnesses, an individual has clinical depression when at least five of the following symptoms occur:

• Feeling depressed throughout the day, especially in the morning
• Loss of energy most days (fatigue)
• Feeling worthless or guilty
• Sleeping too much or too little
• Loss of interest in activities that were previously found enjoyable
• Recurring thoughts of death or suicide
• Significant weight loss or weight gain; significant appetite loss or gain
• A sense of restlessness or being slowed down
• Pessimism
• Feeling “empty”

These symptoms must be present almost every day or at least every day for two weeks to be considered for depression disability benefits. Such depressive symptoms must also cause significant impairment to one’s daily lifestyle to qualify as the mental disorder; symptoms cannot be the result of another factor (such as drugs or medication).