Major Depressive Disorder - commonly referred as depression - is an illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts. It is not to be confused with a passing blue mood - depression can have severe repercussions in the person’s way of life. It affects a person’s appetite, sleep, and work. It affects relationships and how a person feels about himself. Depression is not a sign of weakness, or a condition that can be willed or wished away. One cannot merely change things in a snap - sans treatment, symptoms can last for days, weeks, months, or even years.

Types of Depression

Depressive Disorder comes in different forms. Three of the most common types of depressive disorders are major depression, dysthymia, and bipolar disorder - it is instructive to note that within these types are variations in the number of symptoms, persistence, and how severe they are.

Major Depression is evidenced by a combination of symptoms that interfere with one’s ability to live a normal, productive life. A disabling episode of major depression may occur only once, but it more commonly occurs several times in a person’s lifetime.

Dysthymia is a less severe type, but nonetheless keeps one from functioning well. It involves chronic, long-term symptoms that do not disable and leaves one feeling miserable. People suffering dysthymia also experience major depressive episodes some time in their lives.

Bipolar disorder, also called manic-depressive disorder, is not nearly as prevalent as the other forms of depression. It is characterized by cyclical mood changes - severe highs (mania) and severe lows (depression). Mood variations are sometimes rapid and dramatic, but most often are gradual. An individual in the depressed cycle can have any or all of the symptoms of a depressive disorder, and when in the manic cycle, the individual may be overactive and have a great deal of energy. Mania often affects judgment, social behavior, and thinking - which lead to embarrassment and serious problems. Left untreated, mania may worsen into a psychotic state.

Symptoms of Depression

- Appetite and/or weight loss or overeating and weight gain

- Constant feelings of emptiness, irritability, sadness, or tension

- Decreased ability to concentrate or make decisions

- Decreased energy

- Difficulty in remembering

- Fatigue

- Feelings of guilt, helplessness, hopelessness, pessimism, and worthlessness

- Insomnia, early-morning awakening

- Loss of interest or pleasure in activities and hobbies that were enjoyed before, including sex

- Oversleeping

- Persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment, like chronic pain, digestive disorders, headaches

- Restlessness

- Thoughts of death or suicide, sometimes with suicide attempts

Causes of Depression

Depression has no singular cause - it is often a result of a combination of factors. Whatever the cause, depression is not a mere state of mind - it is correlated to physical changes in the brain, and connected to an imbalance of a particular chemical that transports signals in your brain and nerves. These are the neurotransmitters.

Factors Involved in Depression

Family: Genetics play a crucial role in depression. It can run in the family for generations, suggesting that a biological vulnerability can be inherited - often the case in bipolar disorder. Major depression seem to occur generation after generation in some families, but it can also occur in people who have no family history of the illness. Inherited or not, major depressive disorders are often associated with variations in brain function and brain structure.

Pessimistic personality: People with low self-esteem, those who consistently view themselves and the world with negative thoughts, or those who are readily overwhelmed by stress are at a higher risk of becoming depressed. These traits may actually be caused by dysthymia.

Physical conditions: Researches through the years have shown that physical changes in the body can be accompanied by mental changes as well. Serious medical conditions like cancer, heart disease, and HIV can contribute to depression, in part because of the physical stress and weakness they bring. Depression can worsen medical conditions, weakening the immune system and making pain more unbearable. The patient loses desire to care for himself, which leads to more complication. In some cases, depression is a side effect of medications used to treat medical conditions.

Stress and Trauma: Major changes in life - breakup from a relationship, death of a loved one, financial problems - can bring depression. Even positive changes like graduating from school getting married, or starting a new job can cause depression.



Thanks to Ted Goodman for contributing this article to our Depression blog:

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Depression is a common problem. It is a disease that affects millions of people all around the world and many people brush it off until the symptoms become so severe that it can be life threatening problem. Waiting too long can have devastating effects. Depression that is the number one cause of suicide, and yet it is something that is treatable if we would only recognized the problem.

Suicide has a stigma attached to it. People often don’t want to admit they have this problem because they’re afraid others will not understand. The causes of depression are often minimized. They seem common, and they are afraid other people will think they are weak for not being able to deal with everyday issues.

Two are the most common age groups that only suffers severe depression are teenagers, and the elderly. However rising group to population in their mid thirties and forties are experiencing severe depression due to stress. There also types of depression brought on by a situation such as postpartum.

It is important to monitor your depression and know what the level of depression you are experiencing is and to know when to report depression to your Physician. The three levels of depression are:

1) major depressive disorders,

2) Dysthymic disorder,

3) manic depression.

In major depressive disorders that depressed person experiences depression for the most part of the day for a week or more. They experience a definite lack of satisfaction in every area and activity. Some of the symptoms of major depressive disorders are excessive weight loss, excessive sleeping or the inability to sleep, fatigue loss of energy, a feeling of unworthiness, and thoughts of suicide. If you or anyone you know experiences any combination of these symptoms it is important to seek the help of a Physician.

With the Dysthymic disorder the patient experiences severe depression and for two years or more along with two or more of the following symptoms: difficulty eating or overeating, difficulty sleeping or excessive sleeping, severe fatigue, loss of self esteem, the difficulty than concentrating or making decisions, the general feeling of hopelessness.

Manic depression also known as bipolar disorder has many symptoms that some people don’t even recognize as depression it is categorize by sharp periods of up an equally sharp periods of deep depression. The cycle between the two periods can be very rapid and sometimes only one will be present without the other. These moods can last for up to a week or longer and are accompanied by two or more of the following symptoms: overinflated sense of self importance, excessive sleeping, rapid talking with the need to keep talking, racing ideas at a rapid succession of thoughts, increasing types of activities that are heavily goal oriented such as school and work. This type of depression can be so severe is to warrant hospitalization to prevent self inflicted harm and can include some psychotic problems such as hallucinations.

Other types of depression include postpartum, anxiety caused by stress and tension, endogenous depression which is a feeling of general dissatisfaction and depression coming from inside, situational or reactionary depression which is depression traded by a certain situation, melancholic depression to name just a few.

None of these forms of depression will go away by themselves. It’s a common feeling to just ride out the storm, that it will go away. Depression does not go away by itself. While you can experience some periods of relief where it seems like everything is okay if there is no more depression these are temporary relief periods not a cure for what caused them.

If you or somebody you love is experiencing any symptoms of depression please seek medical advice. You do not have to live like that. There is much that can be done to alleviate the symptoms that allow you to live a happier more productive life.



Thanks to Ronen David for contributing this article to our Depression blog:

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Depression exists in the emotional part of the brain. Brainswitching uses basic mental exercises to switch the neuronal activity from the emotional part of the brain (the subcortex) to the thinking part of the brain (the neocortex) which does not have the capacity for depression.

The symptoms of depression are really very difficult to understand. This is because you will never come to know if you do not remain patient and attentive. The depressed person will never ask for help. Whether of any type, depression has some common symptoms experienced by all patients. These include feelings of sadness, Hopelessness, sleepless nights, worthlessness, high degree of irritability and overreaction to some situations. You feel that you are not worth living in this world and do not want to go out and socialize. You may also bring down the productivity at work.

There are several different types of depression (mood disorders that include depressive symptoms):

Major depression is a change in mood that lasts for weeks or months. It is one of the most severe types of depression. It usually involves a low or irritable mood and/or a loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities.

Dysthymia is less severe than major depression but usually goes on for a longer period, often several years. There are usually periods of feeling fairly normal between episodes of low mood. The symptoms usually do not completely disrupt one’s normal activities.

Bipolar disorder involves episodes of depression, usually severe, alternating with episodes of extreme elation called mania.

Causes

Improper sleeping patterns are both the cause and consequence of depression. So why does depression cause insomnia? The answer lies in the fact that people suffering from depression have a difficult time controlling the different mood and sleep hormones. The hormones you need to improve mood and energy are not the same ones you need to help you sleep.

Long-term High Stress Level In this situation, the patient is depressed but can’t quite put their finger on the cause, the “I’m depressed but I don’t know why” condition. Imagine running a video tape of your life, reviewing the past 18 months. Look at the stress you’ve been under, the amount of responsibility, the number of pressures, and the number of hassles. In actual clinical practice, this cause of depression is seen more often than sudden loss. This type of depression creeps up on you. When this type of depression is experienced, the patient offers comments such as: “I don’t know what’s wrong!” “I don’t know how I feel.” “My feelings are numb.”

Physiological Symptoms of Depression

Many depressed people can actually feel a change in their bodies. For some it is a churning feeling, particularly in agitated depression. Others experience a sensation of heaviness with lethargy and even physical pain. Some have difficulty digesting food.

One thing common to almost every form of depressive illness is treatability. The approach may vary depending upon the nature and severity of the illness but the prognosis is usually excellent – so long as the sufferers are prepared to take an active part in their own treatment. In fact most types of therapy are based upon the client’s own choices and participation.



Thanks to Corwin Brown for contributing this article to our Depression blog:

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There are many different types of depression. Depression can take many forms, and so many healthcare professionals use a number of different terms when referring to depression. Seasonal affective disorder, clinical depression, and bipolar depression are all commonly diagnosed types of depression. What really causes a lot of confusion when someone is diagnosed with depression is that it can very often overlap with another illness. Conditions such as substance abuse or an eating disorder may be confused with depression, and can make any form of depression rather hard to diagnose. The following are some very common forms of depression.

You will hear the term major depression when you are experiencing one of the depressive disorders that are severe enough to require treatment. For example, say you are very active at your local gym but have experienced some type of severe emotional trauma and start to avoid the gym at all costs. It is very likely that you could be experiencing a bout with major depression.

Another one of the major types of depression is bipolar depression (also known as manic depressive illness). Bipolar depression is commonly recognized as someone experiencing being overly happy, then suddenly becoming horribly depressed. Many doctors believe that bipolar depression is an imbalance in the brain that can often be successfully treated with medications.

One of the major types of depression that women are known to suffer from is postpartum depression. Healthcare professionals have determined that many women suffering from postpartum depression have already suffered from some form of depression previously. Most women that go through giving birth feel badly the first few days afterward. However, those that are not able to snap out of the depressive feelings can experience them for months, if not years, if not properly treated.

Of the many types of depression, a common subtype of depression is seasonal affective disorder. This form of depression seems to be tied to the way people react to the amount of sunlight that is available to them each day. Light therapy by use of special lamps is a common treatment for those suffering from seasonal affective disorder.

A very serious form of the many types of depression is psychotic depression. Those that suffer from psychotic depression very often hear voices in their head in addition to having visual delusions. Individuals that are suffering from this need to have someone help them seek treatment as soon as possible. Most sufferers are not able to think rationally, and therefore are likely to hurt themselves or others. Psychotic depression strikes about 15% of individuals suffering from major depression.

People that seem to be suffering constantly from a mild form of depression are likely to be suffering from dysthymia. People that are suffering from dysthymia can also be hit with a bout of major depression, the more severe form of depression that results in necessary close medical monitoring and aggressive treatment.

Another of the many types of depression that are very commonly suffered by women is atypical depression. This form of depression is commonly marked by experiencing things like panic attacks, overeating, and sleeping disturbances. Someone with atypical depression will feel depressed for a period of time, feel better, and then feel worse again. Atypical depression is very common in a person’s younger years, and if gone untreated will follow them into adulthood.

No matter which one of the many types of depression you might be suffering from, knowing the difference between them is the best way to get the best possible treatment. Once you know which is the best course of treatment you will know the best way to battle whichever of the many different types of depression that you might be suffering from.



Thanks to Ryan King for contributing this article to our Depression blog:

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Postpartum Depression that occurs during pregnancy or within a year after delivery is called perinatal depression. The exact number of women with depression during this time is unknown. But researchers believe that depression is one of the most common complications during and after pregnancy. Often, the depression is not recognized or treated, because some normal pregnancy changes cause similar symptoms and are happening at the same time. Tiredness, problems sleeping, stronger emotional reactions, and changes in body weight may occur during pregnancy and after pregnancy. But these symptoms may also be signs of depression.

Many women experience major mood shifts after childbirth, ranging from brief, mild baby blues to longer-lasting, deeper clinical depression, which is known as postpartum depression. Feelings of sadness and depression are more common after childbirth than many people may realize. It’s important for new mothers — and those who love them — to understand the symptoms of postpartum depression and to reach out to family, friends, and medical professionals for help.

Symptoms

Physical symptoms such as frequent headaches, chest pain, rapid heart beat, numbness, shakiness or dizziness, and mild shortness of breath suggest anxiety. Postpartum anxiety disorder is a separate disorder from postpartum depression, but the two often occur together.

A woman who has postpartum psychosis may feel cut off from her baby. She may see and hear things that aren’t there. Any woman who has postpartum depression can have fleeting thoughts of suicide or of harming her baby. But a woman with postpartum psychosis may feel like she has to act on these thoughts.

Causes

Postpartum depression is caused by changes in hormones and can run in families. Women with severe premenstrual syndrome are more likely to suffer from postpartum depression.

There may be a number of reasons why a woman gets depressed. Hormone changes or a stressful life event, such as a death in the family, can cause chemical changes in the brain that lead to depression. Depression is also an illness that runs in some families. Other times, it’s not clear what causes depression.

Experts agree there are no single cause but rather a combination of hormonal, biochemical, environmental, psychological, and genetic factors. Genetics may play the largest role in postpartum depression, as the single greatest risk factor for PPD is a personal history of depression.

When you’re sleep deprived and overwhelmed, you may have trouble handling even minor problems. You may be anxious about your ability to care for a newborn. You may feel less attractive or struggle with your sense of identity. You may feel that you’ve lost control over your life. Any of these factors can contribute to depression.

Treatment

Postpartum depression can be treated in several ways. Support groups may help. Some women go to therapy or counseling with a mental health professional. This professional may talk with the woman about the risks and benefits of antidepressant medications.

Always consult a psychiatrist or other mental health professional when depressive symptoms continue or worsen; when the new mother feels or expresses a wish to harm herself, or feels or expresses a fear that she will harm the child; or when she becomes suspicious or begins to act in an unusual, bizarre manner.

If bad moods, stress, and conflicts plague the pregnancy, try to head off the probable later depression by getting help before the baby is born. Be assertive; if a doctor does not take the symptoms seriously, get a second opinion.



Thanks to peterhutch for contributing this article to our Depression blog:

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