What is Depression?
Depression (major depressive disorder or clinical depression) is a common but serious mood disorder. It causes severe symptoms that affect how you feel, think, and handle daily activities, such as sleeping, eating, or working. To be diagnosed with depression, the symptoms must be present for at least two weeks.
Depression is one of the most common mental disorders in the U.S. Current research suggests that depression is caused by a combination of genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological factors.
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Types of Depression
Is a depressed mood that lasts for at least two years without a gap of more than three months. Diagnosis with persistent depressive disorder may have episodes of major depression along with periods of less severe symptoms, but symptoms must last for two years to be considered persistent depressive disorder.
Women with postpartum depression experience full-blown major depression post pregnancy or after delivery (postpartum depression) within four weeks of delivery. The feelings of extreme sadness, anxiety, and exhaustion that accompany postpartum depression may make it harder for these new mothers to do daily care activities for themselves and/or for their babies.
It occurs when diagnosed with severe depression plus some form of psychosis, such as having disturbing false fixed beliefs (delusions) or hearing or seeing upsetting things that others cannot hear or see (hallucinations). The psychotic symptoms typically have a depressive “theme,” such as delusions of guilt, poverty, or illness.
People must have at least five symptoms persisting for two weeks or longer to be diagnosed with major depressive disorder. Those symptoms can include feelings of sadness, sleepiness, lack of interest, guilt, lack of energy, lack of concentration, decrease or increase in appetite, slowing down or restlessness, and thoughts of death and suicide. Most cases are highly treatable.
You have two or more symptoms of depression that aren’t severe enough for a depression diagnosis. Like depression, the symptoms must have been present for two weeks or more and have caused social dysfunction, such as isolation, withdrawal, or behavior changes.
Up to 10% of women of childbearing age experience premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). This severe form of PMS can trigger depression, sadness, anxiety, or irritability, as well as other extreme symptoms, in the week before a woman’s period.
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