An Overview of Depression
During some point in time in our life we may feel down or have a case of the "blues" but when what you are feeling is more than just a bad mood or melancholy what you may have is depression. Depression is not just about feeling sad or feeling down when something happens to cause these feelings, but it is about the constant state of feeling unhappy, angry, or miserable for weeks, or months at a time.
In the United States, depression is the number mental health disorder that affects almost 19 million adults each year, no matter what age group, race, or economic background. For children, it is shown that as many as 1 in 33 of them have depression as well. The number only rises when a child turns into a teenager - as many as 1 in 8 teenagers have shown signs of depression. Depression is more common in women, with almost twice as many women suffering from depression as men. There are various types of depression because it is certainly not a one size fits all disease. Types of depression include major depression, bipolar disorder, Dysthymia, and even seasonal affective disorder. All of these can happen to both children and adults, so no one is immune.
Major depression, also called clinical depression, is the type most commonly talked about. It is a serious condition that is characterized by consistent feelings of sadness, guilt, worthlessness, and the inability to feel enjoyment out of everyday things. It affects you in a significant way by interfering in your typical day and even affecting functions such as eating, sleeping, and even talking. With major depression, you have these feelings everyday until you seek treatment for it.
Bipolar disorder, also called manic depression is another type of depression that has more severe consequences. Characterized by sadness and hopelessness for a period of time, followed by a high mania period that includes delusions of grandeur, explosive tempers, and the inability to sleep, bipolar disorder affects more than 2 million adults and as many as 2% of children. This typically happens in the late teenage years but can happen at anytime.
Dysthymia is a lesser form of major depression. It may lead to feelings of "being down in the dumps" and is not as severe as major depression, but can still last for a year or longer. Although still giving you that despondent feeling, it doesn't necessarily affect the everyday functions as major depression does.
Depression is serious and needs to be taken seriously. It is the leading cause of disability in the United States and causes over two-thirds of the 30,000 reported suicides each year. It is a leading cause of suicide in teenagers which has been on the rise over the past few years. Depression is treatable though with almost 80% of those being treated showing significant improvement in their symptoms in as little as four weeks with the right kind of treatment. The problem with depression is that it is not treated as much as it should be, leaving many people to suffer from depression alone and without help.