{"id":26852,"date":"2026-06-04T08:00:17","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T12:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?p=26852"},"modified":"2026-05-18T10:14:02","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T14:14:02","slug":"long-term-depression-or-an-episode-of-depression","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/2026\/06\/long-term-depression-or-an-episode-of-depression.html","title":{"rendered":"Long-Term Depression or an Episode of Depression?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

For more than two years, Jane has felt as though she has been living under a gray cloud. Most days she struggles with sadness, hopelessness, low energy, poor concentration, and low self-esteem. She goes through the motions of life, but nothing feels easy or joyful. Her depression isn\u2019t intense every single day, yet it rarely disappears. She describes it as a constant, low-grade heaviness that follows her everywhere.<\/p>\n

Jane\u2019s experience is an example of what mental health professionals call persistent depressive disorder, sometimes referred to as chronic depression. Unlike major depression, which often comes in episodes that last weeks or months, persistent depressive disorder involves symptoms that linger for years. The symptoms may be less severe than major depression, but they are ongoing and exhausting because they rarely let up.<\/p>\n

Recently, Jane\u2019s father died unexpectedly. In the weeks following his death, her depression became much more severe. She cried constantly, struggled to get out of bed, and lost interest in nearly everything around her. Her already chronic depression deepened into a major depressive episode. When this happens, clinicians often refer to it as \u201cdouble depression\u201d\u2014a major depression occurring on top of persistent depression.<\/p>\n

Major depression is actually more common than persistent depressive disorder. It usually involves a noticeable change in mood, thinking, and daily functioning over a shorter period of time. A person may experience intense sadness, loss of pleasure, fatigue, appetite or sleep changes, feelings of worthlessness, or difficulty concentrating. While the symptoms overlap with persistent depression, the difference is often in the duration and intensity.<\/p>\n

With persistent depressive disorder, the depressed mood lasts at least two years in adults. Symptoms are present more days than not and do not disappear for longer than two months at a time. Along with a depressed mood, people often experience at least two of the following:<\/p>\n