Depression is the disorder of the brain that affects the well being of a person. Talks about the symptoms,causes, diagnosis and treatment.

Depression

Juddith Potter

Depression is a  disorder  of  the  brain, it's occurs in persons of all genders, ages and backgrounds. There are a variety of causes, including genectic, environmental and psychological and Biomechanical factors. Depression occurs From the ages of 15-30 and it's more prominent in women.

According to research Depression  is  common,  affecting  about  121 million  persons worldwide.  Depression  is  among the  leading  causes  of  disability  worldwide. Depression can be reliably diagnosed and treated in  primary  care.  Fewer  than  25  %  of  those affected  have  access  to  effective  treatments.  Antidepressant  medications  and  brief, structured  forms  of  psychotherapy  are  effective for  60-80  %  of  those  affected  and  can  be delivered  in  primary  care.  However,  fewer  than 25 %  of those  affected (in some  countries fewer than  10  %)  receive  such  treatments.  Barriers  to effective care  include the lack  of resources,  lack of  trained  providers,  and  the  social  stigma associated  with  mental  disorders  including depression.Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. Also called major depressive disorder or clinical depression, it affects how you feel, think and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems.

There are many different causes of depression, some of which we don’t fully understand. Seven of the more common types of depression include the following.

When people use the term clinical depression, they are generally referring to major depressive disorder 

Major depressive disorder is a mood disorder characterized by a number of key features:

II.        Lack of interest in activities              normally enjoyed

VI.    Feelings of worthlessness and     guilt

If a person experiences the majority of these symptoms for longer than a two-week period, they will often be diagnosed with 

Dysthymia, now known as persistent depressive disorder, refers to a type of chronic depression present for more days than not for at least two years. It can be mild, moderate, or severe.1

People might experience brief periods of not feeling depressed, but this relief of symptoms lasts for two months or less. While the symptoms are not as severe as major depressive disorder, they are pervasive and long-lasting.

VII.   Difficulty falling or staying asleep

Treatment for persistent depressive disorder often involves the use of medications and psychotherapy.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 1.5% of adults in the United States had persistent depressive disorder in the past year. The disorder affects women (1.9%) more than men (1%), and researchers estimate that around 1.3% of all U.S. adults will have the disorder at some point during their lives.

Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder characterized by periods of abnormally elevated mood known as mania. These periods can be mild (

) or they can be so extreme as to cause marked impairment with a person’s life, require hospitalization, or affect a person’s sense of reality. The vast majority of those with bipolar disorder also have episodes of major depression.

In addition to depressed mood and markedly diminished interest in activities, people with depression often have a range of physical and emotional symptoms which may include:1

II.   Unexplained aches, pains, and III.   psychomotor agitation

IV.   Hopelessness and loss of self-esteem

The risk of suicide in bipolar illness is about 15 times greater than in the general population. Psychosis (including hallucinations and delusions) can also occur in more extreme cases.

Pregnancy can bring about significant hormonal shifts that can often affect a woman’s moods. Depression can have its onset during pregnancy or following the birth of a child.

Currently classified as depression with peripartum onset, postpartum depression (

) is more than that just the “baby blues.”

Mood changes, anxiety, irritability, and other symptoms are not uncommon after giving birth and often last up to two weeks. 

 symptoms are more severe and longer-lasting.

VI.   Loss of interest in things you used to enjoy

IX.    Thoughts of hurting yourself or your baby

 can range from a persistent lethargy and sadness that requires medical treatment all the way up to postpartum psychosis, a condition in which the mood episode is accompanied by confusion, hallucinations, or delusions.

If left untreated, the condition can last up to a year. Fortunately, research has found that treatments such as antidepressants, counseling, and hormone therapy can be effective.

Among the most common symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (

) are irritability, fatigue, anxiety, moodiness, bloating, increased appetite, food cravings, aches, and breast tenderness.

) produces similar symptoms, but those related to mood are more pronounced.

II.  Feeling sad, hopeless, or self-critical

III.  Severe feelings of stress or anxiety

Iv.   Mood swings, often with bouts of crying

If you experience depression, sleepiness, and weight gain during the winter months but feel perfectly fine in spring, you may have a condition known as seasonal affective disorder (

),1 currently called major depressive disorder with seasonal pattern.

 is believed to be triggered by a disturbance in the normal circadian rhythm of the body.4 Light entering through the eyes influences this rhythm, and any seasonal variation in night/day pattern can cause a disruption leading to depression.

 can be difficult to pinpoint because the condition often goes undiagnosed and unreported. It is more common in areas further from the equator. For example, estimates suggest that 

 impacts 1% of the population of Florida; that number increases to 9% in Alaska.

 is more common in far northern or far southern regions of the planet and can often be treated with light therapy to offset the seasonal loss the daylight.7

Do you experience signs of depression (such as overeating, sleeping too much, or extreme sensitivity to rejection) but find yourself suddenly perking up in face of a positive event?

Based on these symptoms, you may be diagnosed with atypical depression (current terminology refers to this as depressive disorder with atypical features), a type of depression that doesn’t follow what was thought to be the “typical” presentation of the disorder. Atypical depression is characterized by a specific set of symptoms related to:1

III. Fatigue, weakness, and feeling “weighed down”

Atypical depression is actually more common than the name might imply. Unlike other forms of depression, people with atypical depression may respond better to a type of antidepressant known as a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (

Abnormalities in brain chemical levels may lead to depression.

: If you have a relative with depression, you may be more likely to become depressed.

Life events: Stress, the death of a loved one, upsetting events (trauma), isolation and lack of support can cause depression.

: Ongoing physical pain and illnesses can cause depression. People often have depression along with conditions like diabetes, cancer and Parkinson’s disease.

: Some medications have depression as a side effect. Recreational drugs and alcohol can also cause depression or make it worse.

: People who are easily overwhelmed or have trouble coping may be prone to depression.

Everyone may feel sad or down from time to time. However, clinical depression has more intense symptoms that last two weeks or longer.

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