Everyone (including you and your children, wife or girlfriend) will have feelings of sadness at times during thier lives.  There is no clear answer for when normal sadness can be diagnosed as clinical depression but these are some of the signs that a person may have a problem:

• loss of appetite


• excessive sleeping (sleeping all day, every day)


• significant weight loss and/or disinterest in eating


• feelings of guilt, worthlessness or helplessness


• irritability and/or restlessness


• talk of suicide

Unfortunately, many of the signs of depression look like daily problems or even personality issues, but the main test for depression is how much do these symptoms affect his or her personal life and yours.  If there is a big change from the person's normal routine and a big change in your interaction with them, they may need clinical help.