Tal's got her facts right Bri, and LL makes a good point too.
The critera for clinical depression are, perhaps surprising to some, not all that severe...for example they need only persist for two weeks!
But they do include depressed mood, problems eating, sleeping, sexual, concentration problems, hopelessness, lack of joy in the good things in life, perhaps suicidal thoughts...
Depression can be low grade and chronic, periodically flaring up, or it can be triggered by life stressors. I'm thinking of you here too.
About your W mourning the estranged R's in her life...another vote for depersonalizing it. I had a phone conversation with a friend of mine, we're not all that close but she's shared health and stress woes with me before.
She began crying on the phone (not at all usual for her, she's usually more of a shallow...look at my new stuff!, type of person). She'd yelled at her two sons (in their 30's) and neither of them are speaking with her. Her mother and she are estranged. Friends had stopped dropping by (she's a bit of a guilt tripper about things which drives folks away)...the point I'm TRYING to make is that she sobbed "I have NO ONE!!!"....and then I pointed out to her that she has her H! This guy worships the ground she walks on. Works full time (she takes care of the house) does all the shopping, buys her clothes for her, writes up little treasure hunt notes for her on her birthdays and Valentine's day, nursed her through kidney surgery...and STILL caught up in her grief, she said she had "No One"...
Happy anniversary, I hope it exceeds your lowered expectations!
