Depression is a medical illness that affects how one feels, thinks, and acts in day-to-day life. The World Health Organization defines depression as a mental disorder characterized by persistent sadness, lack of pleasure, or interest in rewarding and pleasurable activities for a person (1).
Depression is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide and can impact people of all ages. It is classified as a mood disorder where sadness, anger, loss, or other negative emotions interfere with the day-to-day activities of a person’s life. Depression is of different types, including clinical depression, bipolar disorder, seasonal affective disorder, and much more.
Types of Depression
Depression has many different forms (2). Some of the most commonly seen depressive disorders are as follows:
1. Dysthymia
Also known as Persistent Depressive Disorder or PDD, it is a disorder characterized by low moods that have lasted for over two years. However, the most common trend is that the low mood is not intense enough to be characterized as major depression. It is one of the most common types of depression, and the people suffering can usually go about their lives but have very low mood, low energy, hopelessness, and other such symptoms (3).
2. Major Depression or Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)
This is also termed clinical depression and has intense depressive symptoms that can last for over two weeks. The symptoms, in this case, are so severe that they inhibit the person from performing their day-to-day tasks. People might also have suicidal thoughts when dealing with MDD (4).
3. Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar depressive disorder is when a person has certain periodic episodes of depression but will also experience high bouts of energy some days. Their moods remain at two different spectrums, but they feel extremely low during their period of depression.
4. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
Seasonal affective disorder or SAD is a type of depression that starts showing during the fall and winter months. The mood changes that a person experiences are mainly due to change in the body’s natural rhythm. People with seasonal affective disorder experience symptoms of depression during the winter season or gloomy weather days.
5. Postpartum Depression
Postpartum depression is specific to women. It is characterized by minor or major depressive episodes within the first 12 months of pregnancy, most probably after the child’s birth.
Symptoms of Depression
The symptoms of depression vary from person to person and can affect both mind and body (5). The most common symptoms of depression are;
- Feeling anxious, sad, or having a depressed mood
- Not feeling excited or finding pleasure from the things that one enjoyed previously
- Change in eating habits- either feel more hungry or not hungry at all
- Restlessness, agitation, and feeling like pacing up and down
- Loss of energy and feeling tired
- Lack of sexual desires
- Difficulty in concentrating, thinking, and making decisions
- Feeling of worthlessness and guilt
- Lack of sleep/insomnia or wanting to sleep too much
- Suicidal thoughts or attempts suicide
- Physical problems such as headache, back pain, or pain in other body parts
What Causes Depression?
There are many different causes of depression that can be defined, but the causes are not very evident in some cases. Some of the major causes of depression are:
- Chemical Imbalance In Brain- One of the primary reasons for depression is changes in brain chemistry and a chemical imbalance. Also, in some cases, people with a less functional frontal lobe have a greater risk of developing depression.
- Trauma- Trauma of any kind that leaves a lasting impact on the person can also be a reason for depression. People with post-traumatic stress disorder also sometimes face depressive symptoms and can develop depression.
- Hormones- Hormones in females are also a cause of depression. Changes in estrogen and progesterone during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, menopause, or due to disease conditions such as PCOS, females become susceptible to becoming depressed.
- Medical Conditions- Certain medical conditions might also lead to depression, such as insomnia, Parkinson’s disease, cancer, diabetes, and other chronic illnesses.
- Genetics- People who have a family history of depression or other mood disorders are more prone to developing depression.
- Substance Use- Using substances such as alcohol and drugs can also put a person at risk of developing depression.
Certain risk factors also impact the chance of a person developing depressive disorders (6). These include medications, vitamin deficiencies, socioeconomic status, gender, and having a personality where a person is very emotionally sensitive.
How is it Diagnosed?
The diagnosis of depression is made based on the symptoms and their persistence. If a person is suffering from depressive symptoms for over two weeks or longer, they might have MDD. To determine whether the symptoms are different from the occasional sadness that people face in day to day lives, the health care providers ask questions related to the condition to make a diagnosis (7).
What Are The Possible Treatments?
The treatment of depression is different for each person. The medical professionals usually provide treatments as per the symptoms of the patient (8). The treatments for depression include:
- Counseling is one of the most common types of treatment for depression. It involves having one-on-one counseling sessions with the therapist or using cognitive behavior therapy to treat the condition. It is also called psychotherapy.
- Medicines are also used to treat depression. Various kinds of antidepressants are used, including SSRI, MAOI, tricyclic antidepressants, and SNRIs.
- Brain Stimulation Therapy is a process through which people suffering from severe depression are treated with the help of electroconvulsive therapy or vagus nerve stimulation.
- Self-help and lifestyle changes can also help treat depression. Regular exercise, timely sleep, talking with friends and family, journaling, and other such activities are helpful for people with persistent depressive disorder. Some natural remedies such as herbs that can improve mood are also used sometimes.
Apart from this, if depression is caused due to other diseases, treating them first is the best way to treat depression (9). People suffering from persistent bad moods or any other symptoms that hinder their day-to-day lives should immediately reach out to a medical care provider.