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Depression
Alternate Names : Blues, Dejection, Discouragement, Gloom, Mood Changes, Sadness
Definition
Feelings of depression may be described as feeling sad, blue, unhappy, miserable, or down in the dumps. Most of us feel this way at one time or another for short periods. But true clinical depression is a mood disorder in which feelings of sadness, loss, anger, or frustration interfere with everyday life for an extended period of time.
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Overview & Considerations
Depression is generally ranked in terms of severity -- mild, moderate, or severe. The degree of your depression, which your doctor can determine, influences how you are treated. Symptoms of depression include:
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Sleep disturbances -- usually insomnia (for example, consistently waking up very early in the morning) but may be excessive sleeping
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A dramatic change in appetite, often resulting in either weight gain or weight loss
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Fatigue and lack of energy
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Feelings of worthlessness, self-hate, and inappropriate guilt
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Extreme difficulty concentrating
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Agitation, restlessness, and irritability OR inactivity and withdrawal from usual activities
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Recurring thoughts of death or suicide
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Feelings of hopelessness and helplessness
Low self esteem is common with depression. So are sudden bursts of anger and lack of pleasure from activities that normally make you happy, including sex.
The main types of depression include:
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Major depression -- five or more symptoms listed above must be present for at least 2 weeks, but tends to continue for 20 weeks. (A mood disorder is classified as minor depression if less than five depressive symptoms are present for at least 2 weeks.)
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Dysthymia -- a chronic, generally milder form of depression but lasts longer -- usually as long as two years.
- Atypical depression -- depression accompanied by unusual symptoms, such as hallucinations (for example, hearing voices that are not really there) or delusions (irrational thoughts).
Other common forms of depression include:
- Postpartum depression -- many women feel somewhat down after having a baby, but true postpartum depression is rare.
- Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PDD) -- depressive symptoms occur one week prior to menstruation and disappear after you menstruate.
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Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) -- occurs during the fall-winter season and disappears during the spring-summer season. Likely to be due to lack of sunlight.
Depression may also occur with mania (known as manic-depression or bipolar disorder). In this condition, moods cycle between mania and depression.
Depression is more common in women than men and is especially common during the teen years. Men seem to seek help for feelings of depression less often than women. Therefore, women may only have more documented cases of depression.
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Jump to another section
• Definition
• Depression: Overview & Considerations
• Depression: Common Causes
• Depression: Home Care & Treatment
• Depression: Prevention
• Call your Health Care Provider if
• What to Expect at your Health Care Provider's Office
• Pictures & Images
Topics that might be of interest to you Diseases & Conditions
• Adolescent Depression
• Depression - Elderly
• Dysthymia
• Major Depression
• Seasonal Affective Disorder
• Suicide and Suicidal Behavior
Other Topics
• High Blood Pressure
Review Date : 9/19/2003
Reviewed By : Jacqueline A. Hart, M.D., Department of Internal Medicine, Newton-Wellesley Hospital, Boston, Ma., and Senior Medical Editor, A.D.A.M., Inc. Previously reviewed by Yvette Cruz, M.D., Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network (2/17/2002).
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