Mood Disorders: Clinical Depression

Depression is a life threatening mental health disorder which is characterized by a persistent depressed mood or loss of interest in things you once enjoyed. In the United States alone there is about three million cases of depression per year and an estimate of 5,000 Americans between the ages 15 and 24 who take their own life due to this disorder. Since the last estimate the suicides have tripled from the year 1960 according to the Mental Health of America (Mental Health of America #1). Suicide has become the third leading cause of death in adolescents and the second cause of death among college-age youth. This disorder can make it very hard to live your normal everyday life. You can have overwhelming feeling of sadness, frustration and irritability. Some teens do

Major Depressive Disorder : Major depressive disorder (MDD)is a serious clinical mood disorder that severely impacts a person's everyday life and wellbeing. Catatonic Depression : Catatonia is a state where a person appears unresponsive and moves little, if at all. It is a type of depression that often confuses doctors. Seasonal Affective Disorder : Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that is common during winter months where exposure to sunlight is minimal. Dysthymia (Chronic Depression) : An estimated 35 million people in the U.S. have suffered from dysthymia at some point in their lives. Atypical Depression : Atypical depression can be difficult to treat as its criteria isn't as easily defined as other types

2). Depressive episodes also have distinct symptoms: “an overly long period of feeling sad or hopeless, loss of interest in activities once enjoyed, including sex, feeling overly tired or “slowed down,” having problems concentrating, remembering, and making decisions, being restless or irritable, changing eating, sleeping or other habits, thinking of death or suicide, or attempting suicide” (NIMH, 2012, p. 2). “Episodes of bipolar depression are often misdiagnosed as major depression, and in some cases bipolar disorder is not accurately diagnosed for years” (Pinto & Schub, 2014, para. 2).

Also called clinical depression, is a mood disorder characterized by a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. Depression affects how the patient feels, thinks and behaves and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical effects. Patients diagnosed with depression may have trouble doing day to day activities or may feel as if life is not worth living. Depression is diagnosed when a patient experiences severe symptoms that interfere with his/her to work, sleep, study, eat and enjoy life. An episode of depression can occur only once in a patient’s lifetime, but more often than not, a patient will experience several episodes.

The Mayo Clinic (2015) defines dysthymia as “a continuous long-term (chronic) form of depression… [that] may lose interest in normal daily activities, feel hopeless, [or] lack productivity”. This is less severe than major depression. What makes this different from major depression is that it has less symptoms, only two of the symptoms that are listed under dysthymia must be present, this is long term instead of a two-week period, and symptoms like suicidal thoughts are only present in major depression. In a two-year period, while depressed, a person must have two or more of the following symptoms: poor appetite or overeating, insomnia or hypersomnia, low energy or fatigue, low self-esteem, poor concertation or difficulty making decisions,

“In fact, major depression is the leading cause of disability for Americans between the ages of 15 and 44, according to the CDC”(Iliades, C.). Major Depression Disorder is also known as Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and is one of the most common and serious disorders leading to morbidity. Major Depression Disorder varies on the person 's age or gender, symptoms, the cause of the disorder, the triggers, and the methods of helping treat the disorder.

Depressed people, lack energy, talk and/or move slowly, may display signs of lethargy, or may frequently pace restlessly/aimlessly, increased crying, lack of appetite, lack of sexual appetite, and may suffer from irregular sleep cycles. Physical symptoms may include constipation, and less saliva

Depression has a lot of symptoms, and a patient must have five or more of the symptoms in order to qualify as depressed (American Psychiatric Association, 2013, p.160). The American Psychiatric Association (APA) (p.160) says that feeling depressed, sad, or empty almost every day, and a loss of interest in activities that used to bring you a lot of pleasure, such as sports, writing, and sex are the two main symptoms. These symptoms turn into irritability in teens and kids, and parents tend to ignore it because they believe that it is just a teenager being a teenager. The other symptoms of depression, according to the APA (p.161) are major weight loss or gain caused by changes in eating habits, insomnia or hypersomnia, feeling restless or slowed down, fatigue without a visible reason, feeling worthless or guilty, lack of ability to think (getting easily distracted),

Major Depressive Disorder, also known as clinical depression, is a mood disorder in which the subjected individual experiences feelings of sadness and loss of interest. Although any individual may feel such emotions, there are more symptoms than just those that assist psychiatrists in diagnosing the disorder. In an article from The Balanced Mind, symptoms of major depression are described as, “Feelings of irritability and/or depressed mood, loss of interest in usual activities, low energy or restlessness, poor concentration, sleeping too much or too little, weight or weight gain, feelings of hopelessness or helplessness, guilt, or thoughts of death and suicide” (Fact Sheet: Facts About Teenage Depression). Clinical depression can range from the less severe symptoms, such as irritability, all the up to thoughts of suicide,

Depression, though a complex disorder, is one of the most widely known illnesses today. Clinical depression is a mood disorder that, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, affects 6.7% of the US population, more than 15 million adults. It is a serious illness that can be characterized, and often stereotyped, by perceived laziness, lack of motivation, and loneliness. Those with depression may experience significant changes in their sleeping habits, either sleeping too much or too little. Some depressed people can even have suicidal thoughts. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition, states that in order to diagnose major depressive disorder (commonly known as simply depression), 5 or more

Depression (also called major depressive disorder and clinical depression) is the mood disorder that inspires a persistent feeling of sadness or apathy at least for a period of two weeks. Patients with depression often feel sad, empty, anxious and worthless. Around 350 million people suffer from some form of depression worldwide, and approximately 11% adolescents have a depressive disorder by the age of 18. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/20/depression-statistics_n_6480412.html) 15% of the people diagnosed with depression will die by suicide, making the annual suicide

Mood disorders are quite interesting; especially if you're realizing that you have many of the symptoms. With mood disorders one experiences long periods of depression or elation, that causes ones everyday activities to be disrupted. The main mood disorders are major depression, and bipolar disorder. Another type of mood disorder is called seasonal affective disorder. This is caused by the lack of sunlight that people with the disorder receive in usually the winter months. Apparently the lack of sunlight disrupts their regular serotonin levels causing the depression. Phototherapy, which is daily doses of artificial sunlight, has been proven to help this disorder.

Clinical depression is the term used for any kind of depression disorder, which includes the most common one: major depression, or informally known as depression. While there are several types of depressive disorders, they are share the same gamut of symptoms. These include not just cognitive, emotional, and behavioral symptoms, but also physical ones. Major depression is a mental medical illness that affects both the body and the mind, and it creates “physical, psychological, and social symptoms” (Nemade et al; “Depression”). Major depression is defined by a set of criteria before being labeled to a subject: the subject must experience several of the symptoms of depression almost every day for a span of at least two weeks (Grohol, “Warning”; Nemade et al). It is not absolutely certain what causes depression, as it is “a combination of biological, psychological, and social factors”(Smith et al). Chronic stress can contribute to all those factors which makes it a cause for depression; different events may trigger people in different

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) takes place during the winter weather, this is due to the lessening of the sunlight during those months. The symptoms include lack of energy, eating more than you would usually, sleeping more and gaining weight. People are diagnosed after they have had these symptoms present during the winter for more than 2 years. This type of disorder can be treated with artificial light treatment. During light therapy, you sit or work near a device called a light therapy box. The box gives off bright light that mimics natural outdoor light.

Dysthymia is another form of depression, but it’s not as severe. This disorder can be a chronic illness that is long lasting. Dysthymia occurs every day for one year or less in teens. Some of the symptoms are fatigue, appetite deprivation and low self- esteem. The Primary Care Journal states that dysthymia only affects 3 percent of the population and it is associated with functional impairment. (www.en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/dysthymia). Individuals who are diagnosed with dysthymia usually don’t notice that they are experiencing depression. They are able to carry out their daily lives.