What is Depression

Female: Nearly 20 million Americans suffer from clinical depression. But what exactly is clinical depression?

Male: Most people know what depression is. Almost everyone suffers from occasional depression with symptoms like sadness, pessimism, and low energy. It is only when depression lasts two weeks or more that it becomes a clinical disorder, at which point it is called major depression. It is important to understand that when someone has depression, there are actual physical changes in the structure of the brain, as well as reduced levels of important chemicals called neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that allow communication between nerves. But they are also of importance for mood regulation. People suffering from depression typically have reduced levels of neurotransmitters especially serotonin. Lower levels of serotonin lead to mood stabilization then depression. People suffering from depression can also have related changes in their brain structure. For example, people with a history of depression, the smaller hippocampus than others. This is significant because the hippocampus is an important serotonin receptor.

Although people commonly think of depression as a single illness, there are actually several different types with different causes and treatments. One common type of depression is major depression. Symptoms often include overwhelming feelings of sadness or so low energy and feelings of worthlessness. Another kind of depression, dysthymia, is a prolonged chronic condition with less severe symptoms than those of major depression. Although milder in nature, dysthymia does tend to last two years or longer. Adjustment disorder can occur in the aftermath of the sad or life transitional events like death of a love one or the loss of a job. A period of unhappiness is normal. But if the depressed feelings continue for several months, then the diagnosis of adjustment disorder may be appropriate. One other common kind of depression is seasonal affective disorder. A pattern of depression related to a lack of exposure to sunlight. Typically, SAD suffers noticed symptoms during winter when days are shortest. However, they can often be helped with a light box that replaces lost sunlight.

Good treatments exist for most kinds of depression, but self-diagnosis is tricky. If you think you are suffering from depression, the first step towards feeling better is to see a doctor.

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