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.
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.
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:
Trouble sleeping or excessive sleeping
A dramatic change in appetite, often with weight gain or loss
Fatigue and lack of energy
Feelings of worthlessness, self-hate, and inappropriate guilt
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.
Depressed children may not have the classic symptoms of adult depression. Watch especially for changes in school performance, sleep, and behavior. If you wonder whether your child might be depressed, it's worth bringing to a doctor's attention.
The main types of depression include:
Major depression -- five or more symptoms listed above must be present for at least 2 weeks, but major depression tends to continue for at least 6 months. (Depression is classified as minor depression if you have fewer than five depression symptoms for at least 2 weeks. In other words, minor depression is similar to major depression except it only has 2 - 4 symptoms.)
Atypical depression -- occurs in about a third of patients with depression. Symptoms include overeating and oversleeping.
Major depression (2 images)
Average Rating:
(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Major depression is when a person has five or more symptoms of depression for at least 2 weeks. These symptoms include feeling sad, hopeless, worthless, or pessimistic. In addition, people with major depression often have behavior changes, such as new eating and sleeping patterns. Reviewer: Paul Ballas, DO, Department of Psychiatry, Thomas Jefferson Uniersity Hospital, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 01/20/2009
Postpartum depression(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Postpartum depression is moderate to severe depression in a woman after she has given birth. It may occur soon after delivery or up to a year later. Most of the time, it occurs within the first 4 weeks after delivery. Reviewer: Timothy A. Rogge, MD, private practice in Psychiatry, Kirkland, Washington. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 08/24/2008
Depression - elderly (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Depression is a medical illness in which a person has feelings of sadness, discouragement, and a lack of self-worth. Reviewer: Timothy A. Rogge, MD, private practice in Psychiatry, Kirkland, Washington. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 08/22/2008
Adolescent depression (1 image)
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(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Adolescent depression is a disorder that occurs during the teenage years, and involves persistent sadness, discouragement, loss of self-worth, and loss of interest in usual activities. See also: Depression; Major depression. Reviewer: Paul Ballas, DO, Department of Psychiatry, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 01/20/2009
Seasonal affective disorder (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a form of depression that occurs in relation to the seasons, most commonly beginning in winter. Reviewer: Christos Ballas, MD, Attending Psychiatrist, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 01/15/2009
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a condition marked by severe depression symptoms, irritability, and tension before menstruation. These symptoms are more severe than those seen with premenstrual syndrome (PMS. Reviewer: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and Susan Storck, MD, FACOG, Chief, Eastside Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound, Redmond, Washington; Clinical Teaching Faculty, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 12/31/2008
Dysthymia(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Dysthymia is a chronic type of depression in which a person's moods are regularly low. However, it is not as extreme as other types of depression. Reviewer: Timothy A. Rogge, MD, private practice in Psychiatry, Kirkland, Washington. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 08/22/2008
Depression - resources (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Depression is a medical condition. If you think you may be depressed, see a health care provider. The following organizations are good resources of information on depression: American Psychological Association - www.apa.org; American Psychiatric Association - www.psych.org; Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance - www.ndmda.org; National Institute of Mental Health - www.nimh.nih.gov; Postpartum Support International - http/postpartum.net. Reviewer: Jennifer K. Mannheim, CPNP, private practice, Seattle, Washington. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc. Date: 11/08/2008
Major depression with psychotic features (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Major depression with psychotic features is a condition in which a person experiences depression along with reduced contact with reality (psychosis. This can take the form of false beliefs (delusions) or seeing or hearing something that isn't really there (hallucinations. See also: Major depression; Psychosis. Reviewer: Christos Ballas, MD, Attending Psychiatrist, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 01/15/2009
Bipolar disorder (1 image)
Average Rating:
(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Bipolar disorder involves periods of excitability (mania) alternating with periods of depression. The "mood swings" between mania and depression can be very abrupt. Reviewer: Christos Ballas, MD, Attending Psychiatrist, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 01/15/2009
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