What is Depression?

Depression is defined as a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of depressed mood or sadness and the often profound loss of interest in things that usually bring you pleasure.

It can get worse and last longer when not treated. In severe cases, it can lead to sel-harm or death. Fortunately, treatments can be very effective in improving symptoms of depression.

Types of Depression

1. Postpartum Depression

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

Currently classified as depression with peripartum onset, postpartum depression (PPD) is more than that just the “blue babies”.

Postpartum Depression symptoms are more severe and longer-lasting. Such symptoms can include:

• Low mood, feelings of sadness
• Severe mood swings
• Social withdrawal
• Trouble bonding with your baby
• Appetite changes
• Feeling helpless and hopeless
• Loss of interest in things you used to enjoy
• Feeling inadequate or worthless
• Anxiety and panic attacks
• Thoughts of hurting yourself or your baby
• Thoughts of suicide

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

2. Major Depressive Disorder

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

• Depressed mood
• Lack of interest in activities normally enjoyed
• Changes in weight
• Changes in sleep
• Fatigue
• Feelings of worthlessness and guilt
• Difficulty concentrating
• Thoughts of death and suicide

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

3. Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder characterized by periods of abnormally elevated mood known as mania. These periods can be mild (hypomania) or they can be so extreme as to cause marked impairment with a person’s life, require hospitalizations, 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:

• Fatigue, insomnia, and lethargy
• Unexplained aches, pains, and psychomotor agitation
• Hopelessness and loss of self-esteem
• Irritability and anxiety
• Indecision and disorganization

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.

4. Persistent Depressive Disorder

It refers to a type of chronic depression present for more days than not for at least two years. It can be mild, moderate, or severs.

PDD symptoms inculde:

• Feelings of sadness
• Loss of interest and pleasure
• Anger and Irritability
• Feelings of guilt
• Low self-esteem
• Difficulty falling or staying asleep
• Sleeping too much
• Feelings of hopelessness
• Fatigue and lack of energy
• Changes in appetite
• Trouble concentrating

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

5. Seasonal Affective Disorder

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, currently called major depressive disorder with seasonal pattern.

Seasonal Affective Disorder is believed to be triggered by a dirturbance in the normal circadian rythm of the body. Light entering through the eyes influences this rythm, and any seasonal variation jn night/day pattern can cause a disruption leading to depression.

6. Atypical Depression

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:

• Excessive eating or weight gain
• Excessive sleep
• Fatigue, weakness, and feeling “weighed down”
• Intense sensitivity to rejection
• Strongly reactive moods

This 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 anti-depressant known as a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI).

7. Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder

Among the most common symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) are irritability, fatigue, anxiety, moodiness, bloating, increased appetite, food cravings, aches, and breat tenderness.

Symptoms may include:

• Extreme fatigue
• Feeling sad, hopeless, self-critical
• Severe feeling of stress or anxiety
• Mood swings, often with bouts of crying
• Irritability
• Inability to concentrate
• Food cravings or bringing

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder produces similar symptoms, but those related to mood are more pronounced.

What causes depression?

• Brain chemistry: Abnormalities in brain chemical levels may lead to depression.
• Genetics: If you have a relative with depression, you may be more likely to become depressed.
• Life events: Stress, death of a loved one, upsetting events (trauma), isolation and lack of supports can cause depression.
• Medical conditions: Ongoing physical pain and illnesses can caude depression. People often have depression along with condition like diabetes or cancer.

How is depression be treated?

When people think about depression, they often divide it into one of two things—either clinical depression which requires treatment or “regular” depression that pretty much anyone can go through. As a condition, depression can be difficult concept to grasp since we refer to it as both the symptom of a condition and a condition itself.

Depression can be serious, but it’s also treatable. Treatment for depression includes:

• Self-help: Regular exercise, getting enough sleep, and spending time with people you care about can improve depression symptoms.
• Counselling: Counselling or psychotherapy is talking with a mentak health professional. Your counselor helps you address your problems and develop coping skills. Sometimes brief therapy is all you need. Other people continue therapy longer.
• Alternative medicine: People with mild depression or ongoing symptoms can improve their well-being with complementary therapy. Therapy may include massage, acupuncture, hypnosis, and biofeedback.
• Medication: Prescription medicine cakked antidepressants can help change brain chemistry that causes depression. Antidepressants can take a few weeks to have an effect. Some antidepressants have side effects, which often improve with time. If they don’t, talk to your provider. A different medications may work better for you.
• Brain stimulation therapy: Brain stimulation therapy can help people who have severe depression or depression with psychosis.

Depression can affect anyone, no matter their age, gender, or circumstances.

Women may experience depression more often than men. And your genetics or other health conditions can increase the likelihood that you’ll have at least one depressive episods in your lifetime.

Can depression be prevented?

You can help prevent depression by getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet and practicing reqular self-care activities such as exercise, meditation, and yoga.

If you’ve had depression before, you may be more likely to experience it again. If you have depression symptoms, get helo. Care can help you feel better sooner.

Outlook or prognosis for peoples with depression

Depression can be mild or severe. And it can be brief or long-lasting. It’s important to get help right away.

Without treatment, depression can:

• Become worse
• Increase your chance of health conditions, like dementia
• Lead to self-harm or death
• Return, even after you start to feel better.

Causes of depression include difficulties in life, brain chemistry abnormalities, some medications and physical conditions. The good news is that depression is treatable. If you ha e symptoms of depression, talk to your healthcare provider. The sooner you get help, the sooner you can feel better.

• Karylle Polec-eo
• Shiela Atitiw
• Florianne Mawagay