Depression is a mental disorder that is often characterized by lengthy periods of sadness and melancholy, say the experts from the field of psychiatry.
However, just because one person slopes around and hates the world in general, it doesn’t necessarily mean that he/she is suffering from depression, but if this kind of behaviour, that feeling of emptiness, loss of self-worth and absolute lack of hope for happiness goes on , then, that individual is probably, indeed, depressed. Still, there are several types of depression too.
Manic or Bipolar depression is characterized by sudden and extreme mood swings – one minute he or she is euphoric while the next minute (day or week), he or she feels as if he or she is hell.
Postpartum depression is characterized by a prolonged sadness and a prolonged feeling of emptiness by a new mother where physical stress during child birth, an uncertain sense of responsibility towards the new born baby can be just some of the possible reasons why some new mothers go through this.
Dysthimia – characterized by a slight similarity with depression, although this time, it’s been proven to be a lot less severe, but of course with any case of illness, should be seen to immediately.
Cyclothemia is characterized by a slight similarity with Manic or Bipolar depression wherein the sufferer of this mental illness has a problem with severe mood swings.
Seasonal Affective Disorder – characterized by depression only during specific seasons (i.e. Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall). However, studies prove that most people actually fall ill during the Winter and Autumn seasons, which suggests that light plays a role. Or they could suffer from severe mood swings, wherein a person’s mood may shift from happy to sad to angry in quite a short space of time.
‘Clinical depression’ or as some call it, ‘major depression’, is the [correct|actual medical term for depression. In fact, clinical depression is more a disorder than an illness, since it refers only to those who are suffering from the symptoms that cause depression.
However, despite being an actual disorder, clinical depression can be treated quite successfully. Doctors are usually highly optimistic that patients suffering from clinical depression will soon be well on their way to good mental health as long as they are treated as soon as they have been diagnosed. Patients who have sought treatment for clinical depression have proven to be very successful in their hopes, given that 80 percent of those treated have found relief from their illness.
For those who may be seeking answers to questions related to clinical depression, the depression section of the health center is highly recommended, as well as books on psychiatry and the Internet – which can offer a lot of helpful information, although self medication is very much disapproved of. Clinical depression may not pose as much of a threat as the other types of mental illness, but it is best to leave it in the hands of professionals who can safely attend to and cure this disorder.
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