Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sad 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.
More than just about of the blues, depression isn't weakness and you can't simply "snap out" of it. Depression may require long term treatment. But don't get discouraged. Most people with depression feel better with medication, psychotherapy or both.
You many have trouble doing normal day to day and sometimes you may have trouble doing normal day to day activities and sometimes you may feel as if life isn't worth living.
If you feel depressed, make an appointment to see your doctor or mental health professional as soon as you can. If you're reluctant to seek treatment, talk to a friend or loved one, any health care professional, a faith leader, or someone else you trust.
Symptoms
Although, depression may occur only once during your life, people typically have multiple episodes. During these episodes, symptoms occur most of the day, nearly every day and may include:
• Angry outbursts, irritability or frustration, even over small matters.
• Feelings of sadness, tearfulness, emptiness or hopelessness.
• Sleep disturbance, including insomnia or sleeping too much.
• Loss of interest or pleasure in most or all normal activities, such as sex, hobbies or sports.
• Tiredness and lack of energy, so even small tasks take extra effort.
• Reduced appetite and weight loss or increased cravings for food and weight gain.
• Anxiety, agitation or restlessness.
• Slowed thinking, speaking or body movements.
• Feelings of worthlessness or guilt, fixating on past failures or self-blame.
• Frequently or recurrent thoughts of death, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts or suicide.
• Trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions and remembering things.
• Unexplained physical problems, such as back pain or headaches.
For many people with depression, symptoms usually are severe enough to cause noticeable problems in day-to-day activities, such as work, school, social activities or relationship with others.
Some people may feel generally miserable or unhappy without really knowing why.
Causes
It's not known exactly what causes depression. As with many mental disorders, a variety of factors may be involved:
• Biological difference: People with depress appear to have physical changes in their brains. The significance of these changes is still uncertain, but may eventually help pinpoint causes.
• Brain chemistry: Neurotransmitters are naturally occurring brain chemicals that likely play a role in depression. Recent research indicates that change in the function and effect of these neurotransmitters and how they interact with neuocircuits involved in maintaining mood stability may play a significant role in depression and its treatment.
• Hormones: Changes in the body's balance of hormones may be involved in causing or triggering depression. Hormone changes can result with pregnancy and during the weeks or months after delivery and form thyroid problems, menopause or a number of other conditions.
• Inherited traits: Depression is more common in people whose blood relatives also have this condition. Research are trying to find genes that may be involved in causing depression.
Risk Factors
Factors that seem to increase the risk of developing or triggering depression include:
• Certain personality traits, such as low self-esteem and being too dependent, self-critical or pessimistic.
• Blood relatives with a history of depression, bipolar disorder, alcoholism or suicide.
• Traumatic or stressful events, such as physical or sexual abuse, the death or loss of a loved one, a difficult relationship, or financial problems.
• History of other mental health disorders, such as anxiety disorder, eating disorders or post-traumatic stress disorder.
• Being lesbian, gay bisexual or transgender, or having variations in the development of genital organs that aren't clearly male or female in an unsupportive situation.
• Serious or chronic illness, including cancer, stroke, chronic pain or heart disease.
• Certain medications, such as some high blood pressure medications or sleeping pills (talk to your doctor stopping any medication)
• Abuse of alcohol or recreational drugs.
The first major hypothesis of depression was formulated about 30 years ago and proposed that the main symptoms of depression are due to a functional deficiency of the brain monoaminergic transmitters norepinephrine (NE), 5-HT, and/or dopamine (DA), whereas mania is caused by functional excess of monoamines at critical.
Research suggests that depression doesn't spring from simply having too much or too little of certain brain chemicals. Rather, there are many possible causes of depression, including faulty mood regulation by the brain, genetic vulnerability, stressful life events, medications and medical problems.
Major depression is most likely to affect people between the ages of 45 and 65. "People in middle are at the top of the bell curve for depression, but the people at each and of the curve, the very young and very old, may be at higher risk for severe depression,"
The influx of cortisol triggered by depression also causes the amygdala to enlarge. This is a part of the brain associated with emotional responses. When it becomes larger and more active, it causes sleep disturbance, changes in activity levels, and changes in other hormones.
Three of the more common methods used in depression treatment include cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, and psychodynamic therapy. Often, a blended approach is used.
