Depression

What is Depression?

Sometimes you might feel down, unmotivated, or not quite like yourself. But if this is accompanied by a loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed or if your depressed mood lasts more than two weeks, you might be suffering from clinical depression.

Clinical depression (also called major depressive disorder) is a serious mood disorder. As a biological/physical illness, it affects a person's body, feelings, thoughts, and behavior. But it is highly treatable.

Symptoms of Depression

• Oversleeping or trouble sleeping
• Overeating or undereating
• Feeling sad, irritable, hopeless, worthless, and/or helpless
• A sense of excessive guilt
• Difficulty with thinking
• Anxiety or restlessness leading to unintended movements (fidgeting, hand-wringing, etc.) 
• Recurrent thoughts of suicide or death

Treatment is often needed, and once you've had an episode of depression, you’re at risk of having more throughout your life. Left untreated, some types of depression can recur more often and become more serious. Severe depression may include symptoms of catatonia, anxiety, or psychosis.

Types of Depression

• Major depressive disorder, also known as clinical depression: symptoms of depression last for at least two weeks and interfere with your ability to function in daily life
• Persistent depressive disorder, also known as dysthymia: less severe symptoms of depression lasting for at least two years
• Perinatal depression: major depression experienced during pregnancy (also known as prenatal depression) or after delivery (also known as postpartum depression)
• Seasonal affective disorder: depression associated with the change of seasons, typically during winter
• Depression with symptoms of psychosis: includes symptoms such as delusions (disturbing, false fixed beliefs) or hallucinations (hearing or seeing things that others do not see or hear)

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