Feelings of sadness can be normal, appropriate and even necessary during life's setbacks or losses. Or you may feel blue or unhappy for short periods of time without reason or warning, which also is normal and ordinary. But if such feelings persist or impair your daily life, you may have a depressive disorder. Severity, duration and the presence of other symptoms are factors that distinguish ordinary sadness from a depressive disorder.
Depression can happen to anyone of any age, race, class or gender. It afflicts almost 19 million Americans each year, and up to one in five American women will suffer from clinical depression at some point in her life. Women are two to three times more likely than men to suffer from depression. Many women first experience symptoms of depression during their 20s and 30s. Once you experience depression, there's a 50 percent chance you'll be depressed again at some point in your life.
A complex combination of physiological, social, environmental, cultural, hormonal, biological and psychological factors may contribute to the reasons why women experience depression at a higher rate than men.
Depression affects both mind and body. If you are depressed, you feel a sense of helplessness, hopelessness or despair. You lose interest in your favorite activities, may experience changes in appetite, weight and sleep patterns, have difficulty concentrating and may be preoccupied with death or suicide.
Additionally, depression often occurs in conjunction with certain chronic illnesses, like diabetes, and after a heart attack or stroke. Research sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) suggests that depression may even be a major risk factor for osteoporosis. It also can develop as a result of conditions that cause unrelieved pain. Left untreated, depression contributes to increased complications, prolonged recovery time and a greater chance of death.
The good news is that depression is a treatable illness. Yet according to a major study published in 2003 in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), only about one in five women with depression ever receive adequate treatment.
One reason that treatment for depression is inadequate is that many people do not know or are confused about where to seek mental health treatment. Another reason is that many individuals do not perceive depression as a real medical condition that should or can be treated. Also, there is still a social stigma attached to mental illnesses like depression. These perceptions are wrong. Depression is a potentially life-threatening disorder and anyone suffering from its debilitating symptoms deserves to have it treated.
Types of Depression
Depression is classified as a mood disorder. The primary types of depression are:
Major depression: Major depression is marked by a combination of symptoms that interfere with life activities, such as work, sleep and eating, as well as a loss of interest in previously pleasurable activities. The depressed mood represents a change from previous behavior or mood and has lasted for at least two weeks.
Dysthymia. This is a form of chronic but low-grade depression marked by low energy, a general negativity and a sense of dissatisfaction and hopelessness. A person suffering from dysthymia may experience many of the same symptoms that occur in major depression, but they are less intense and last much longer—at least two years. If you suffer from dysthymia, you may not feel good, but you aren't as disabled as during an episode of major depression. However, sometimes women with dysthymia also suffer from episodes of major depression, a condition known as double depression.
Postpartum depression (PPD): While the "baby blues" are common in many women within the first few days or weeks following pregnancy and childbirth, they are temporary. However, for some women these symptoms become more severe and long lasting. This is known as postpartum depression. The condition typically occurs from three days to six weeks after the baby is born, but can appear any time within the first year. About eight to 15 percent of women report diagnosable PPD within three months of delivery. If you've had prior depressive episodes, you have a much higher risk of developing PPD. Postpartum depression can seriously interfere with your ability to care for yourself and your child. You should report any symptoms immediately to your health care professional for further evaluation.
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD): The syndrome of more severe depression, irritability and tension occurring seven to 14 days prior to the start of the menstrual period is known as premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) (also called late-luteal phase dysphoric disorder). It affects an estimated two to 10 percent of women of childbearing age. Though PMDD shares many of the characteristics of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), particularly the timing of the symptoms, there are differences between the two. When diagnosing PMDD, the focus is more on the mood-related symptoms than physical symptoms because the mood-related symptoms are significantly more severe in PMDD than in PMS. Experts say the difference between PMDD and PMS is similar to the difference between a mild tension headache and a migraine.
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Also called winter depression, SAD is a form of depression that affects an estimated 10 to 20 percent of Americans. Women in their 20s, 30s and 40s seem particularly susceptible to SAD, outnumbering men four to one. The key feature of SAD is your response to less light during the winter months. Experts believe that brain chemistry in some people is affected by diminished daylight, triggering depression at this time of the year. However, it is episodic—it comes and goes—and many people who experience SAD recover in the spring. These people, however, have an increased risk of developing bipolar disorder, another form of depression.
Bipolar disorder. This form of depression is sometimes called manic-depressive illness. Not nearly as prevalent as other forms of depressive disorders, bipolar disorder is characterized by intense episodes of elation and despair, with any combination of mood experiences in between, including periods of normal moods. When in the depressed phase, an individual can have any or all of the symptoms of a depressive disorder. Symptoms during the manic phase include a decreased need for sleep, increased talkativeness, racing thoughts and increased activity, including sexual activity, excessive spending or having a great deal of energy. Sometimes manic episodes may include extreme irritability. Women who are bipolar may have more episodes of depression than mania.
Depression can happen to anyone of any age, race, class or gender. It afflicts almost 19 million Americans each year, and up to one in five American women will suffer from clinical depression at some point in her life. Women are two to three times more likely than men to suffer from depression. Many women first experience symptoms of depression during their 20s and 30s. Once you experience depression, there's a 50 percent chance you'll be depressed again at some point in your life.
A complex combination of physiological, social, environmental, cultural, hormonal, biological and psychological factors may contribute to the reasons why women experience depression at a higher rate than men.
Depression affects both mind and body. If you are depressed, you feel a sense of helplessness, hopelessness or despair. You lose interest in your favorite activities, may experience changes in appetite, weight and sleep patterns, have difficulty concentrating and may be preoccupied with death or suicide.
Additionally, depression often occurs in conjunction with certain chronic illnesses, like diabetes, and after a heart attack or stroke. Research sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) suggests that depression may even be a major risk factor for osteoporosis. It also can develop as a result of conditions that cause unrelieved pain. Left untreated, depression contributes to increased complications, prolonged recovery time and a greater chance of death.
The good news is that depression is a treatable illness. Yet according to a major study published in 2003 in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), only about one in five women with depression ever receive adequate treatment.
One reason that treatment for depression is inadequate is that many people do not know or are confused about where to seek mental health treatment. Another reason is that many individuals do not perceive depression as a real medical condition that should or can be treated. Also, there is still a social stigma attached to mental illnesses like depression. These perceptions are wrong. Depression is a potentially life-threatening disorder and anyone suffering from its debilitating symptoms deserves to have it treated.
Types of Depression
Depression is classified as a mood disorder. The primary types of depression are:
Major depression: Major depression is marked by a combination of symptoms that interfere with life activities, such as work, sleep and eating, as well as a loss of interest in previously pleasurable activities. The depressed mood represents a change from previous behavior or mood and has lasted for at least two weeks.
Dysthymia. This is a form of chronic but low-grade depression marked by low energy, a general negativity and a sense of dissatisfaction and hopelessness. A person suffering from dysthymia may experience many of the same symptoms that occur in major depression, but they are less intense and last much longer—at least two years. If you suffer from dysthymia, you may not feel good, but you aren't as disabled as during an episode of major depression. However, sometimes women with dysthymia also suffer from episodes of major depression, a condition known as double depression.
Postpartum depression (PPD): While the "baby blues" are common in many women within the first few days or weeks following pregnancy and childbirth, they are temporary. However, for some women these symptoms become more severe and long lasting. This is known as postpartum depression. The condition typically occurs from three days to six weeks after the baby is born, but can appear any time within the first year. About eight to 15 percent of women report diagnosable PPD within three months of delivery. If you've had prior depressive episodes, you have a much higher risk of developing PPD. Postpartum depression can seriously interfere with your ability to care for yourself and your child. You should report any symptoms immediately to your health care professional for further evaluation.
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD): The syndrome of more severe depression, irritability and tension occurring seven to 14 days prior to the start of the menstrual period is known as premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) (also called late-luteal phase dysphoric disorder). It affects an estimated two to 10 percent of women of childbearing age. Though PMDD shares many of the characteristics of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), particularly the timing of the symptoms, there are differences between the two. When diagnosing PMDD, the focus is more on the mood-related symptoms than physical symptoms because the mood-related symptoms are significantly more severe in PMDD than in PMS. Experts say the difference between PMDD and PMS is similar to the difference between a mild tension headache and a migraine.
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Also called winter depression, SAD is a form of depression that affects an estimated 10 to 20 percent of Americans. Women in their 20s, 30s and 40s seem particularly susceptible to SAD, outnumbering men four to one. The key feature of SAD is your response to less light during the winter months. Experts believe that brain chemistry in some people is affected by diminished daylight, triggering depression at this time of the year. However, it is episodic—it comes and goes—and many people who experience SAD recover in the spring. These people, however, have an increased risk of developing bipolar disorder, another form of depression.
Bipolar disorder. This form of depression is sometimes called manic-depressive illness. Not nearly as prevalent as other forms of depressive disorders, bipolar disorder is characterized by intense episodes of elation and despair, with any combination of mood experiences in between, including periods of normal moods. When in the depressed phase, an individual can have any or all of the symptoms of a depressive disorder. Symptoms during the manic phase include a decreased need for sleep, increased talkativeness, racing thoughts and increased activity, including sexual activity, excessive spending or having a great deal of energy. Sometimes manic episodes may include extreme irritability. Women who are bipolar may have more episodes of depression than mania.
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