Depression
Depression is a serious medical condition that affects millions of people. It's a mood disorder that involves the body, mood and thoughts. It affects the way you feel about yourself, the way you think about things, and your eating and sleeping patterns. It may start suddenly or build up over a period of weeks, months, or even years.
Symptoms vary from person to person - some people describe it like a black curtain coming down over their lives ... some have trouble getting out of bed ... some have low energy or can't concentrate ... some feel irritable all the time for no apparent reason. A constant feeling of sadness seems to be one of the most common symptoms of depression but, sadness and depression are not the same. Feelings of sadness will lessen with time but depression can continue for months, even years. If feelings of sadness, loss, anger or frustration interfere with your everyday life for an extended period of time, you may be depressed.
Depressive disorders range in seriousness from mild, temporary episodes of sadness to severe and persistent depressed mood. While the term "depressed" is commonly used to describe the temporary feelings of sadness or "feeling blue," the term "clinical depression" is used to describe the more severe, persistent form of depression.
There are different types and levels of clinical depression. Three of the most well-known are: Major Depression, which is manifested by a combination of symptoms (see symptom list) that interfere with your ability to work, study, sleep, eat or enjoy once pleasurable activities. An episode of Major Depression may occur only once, but more commonly occurs several times in a lifetime. On the other end of the spectrum, chronic, long-term symptoms that are not disabling, but keep you from feeling good and functioning well, are a less severe type of depression called Dysthymia.
While Major Depression often occurs in episodes, Dysthymia is more constant and long lasting. Some people describe Dysthymia as a depressed mood that has been with them for such a long time that they gradually adopted these depressed characteristics as part of their normal personality. Bipolar Disorder, formerly called manic-depressive illness, is the third most well-known type of clinical depression. People with bipolar disorder suffer with periods of depression that alternate with periods of abnormally elevated mood and high activity, known as mania. People who have this illness tend to experience extreme mood swings.
Symptoms
Not everyone who is depressed experiences all of the symptoms - some people experience a couple of symptoms ... some people experience many. The severity of symptoms also varies with each individual, and the symptoms often change over time. Symptoms of depression include:
- Feelings of hopelessness or helplessness
- Changes in appetite that result in weight fluctuations unrelated to dieting or a medical condition
- Trouble sleeping or excessive sleeping
- Loss of energy or increased fatigue
- Agitation, restlessness or irritability
- Feelings of worthlessness, self-hate, or inappropriate guilt
- Difficulty thinking, concentrating, or making decisions
- Thoughts of death or suicide, or attempts at suicide
- Inactivity and withdrawal from usual activities
Depression and Sadness
Although depression is often thought of as being an extreme state of sadness, there is a difference between clinical depression and normal sadness. Sadness is a natural reaction to a stressful life situation. It is a transient feeling that passes as you come to terms with your problems. For example, its normal to feel sad after a major disappointment, or to have trouble sleeping or eating after a difficult relationship break-up. Sadness is a part of being human and all of us will experience it at some point in our lives. Clinical depression is very different - it involves a noticeable change in functioning, with many more symptoms than just an unhappy mood, and can linger for weeks, months or even years. The sad person feels bad, but continues to cope with living. On the other hand, a person with clinical depression may feel overwhelmed and hopeless, and so bad that suicide may appear to be the best way to cope.
Depression and Anxiety
Although anxiety and depression are regarded as two separate disorders, it's quite common to have both at the same time. Most people who are experiencing feelings of anxiety are quite surprised to learn they are, in fact, depressed, and that irritability is a common symptom of depression.
Depression is not a sign of personal weakness. While many episodes of depressed mood may go away on their own and you return to your previous level of functioning, sometimes you cannot just "pull yourself together" and get better. Its during these episodes when you aren't able to bounce back to your prior level of functioning, that your mood, how you interact in the world, and how you view the world start to become affected by that dark curtain dropping around you. When that curtain starts to envelope you, it shrinks your world and can become your prison.
But, depression is a highly treatable illness and treating it is especially important because it affects not only you, but those around you. Working with a professional, you can learn to manage Depression and feel better. For some people, talk therapy ("psychotherapy") alone works fine. For others, a combination of psychotherapy, certain lifestyle changes, and medication may be more appropriate. Change won't come overnight - but with the right treatment, you can keep Depression from overpowering your life.