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Featured Depression Articles

5 Surefire Tips to Beat Depression Now
Being lonely is a normal part of our everyday lives... We get sad when we fail in our exams, when we're rejected by the person we love, or when someone very close to us passes away. Depression, however, could be more fatal than just plain loneliness and ...

Depression And Suicide
Eighteen year old Catherine had everything: the most supportive family, a loving boyfriend, awesome set of friends and a comfortable life. But all of these things took a backseat when she was diagnosed with depression. From the bubbly chatterbox that she ...

What Is Depression?
When a person starts to feel depressed, the brain is releasing a mixture of chemicals into the bloodstream and changing the way the brain functions. It is also caused by other external factors, for example a particular situation, what another person had ...





Depression Is A Real Illness
 
Because most people get depressed from time to time, there is that eternal question if depression is a real illness. The answer is: yes. The clinical one, that is. It has been said that about one out of eight United States residents will likely become clinically depressed. Some experience it once in a lifetime, while others have multiple episodes. This is a fact: if a person gets depressed for the first time, there is a 50 percent chance that he will fall to the same predicament again. And come the second time, there is the threat that he will go into a third depressing episode.

Depression is a real illness as it involves the mental, emotional and even physical faculties of the person. It is not just a transient sad feeling that will go away when one wills it to. There are symptoms and signs as well as corresponding treatment. If not handled properly and immediately, it may escalate to worse conditions. Like any other illness, depression has also variations.

There are three types of depressive disorders: major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder and dysthymic disorder.

Major depression is a culmination of all the symptoms and signs that intervene with one's capability to act normally. It can happen once, but recurring episodes are possible.

Its less severe counterpart is dysthymia which is characterized by the same symptoms of major depression, only they do not totally interfere with one's activities. A person who has dysthymic disorder can suffer major depression sometime during his life.

Bipolar disorder is also a type of depression that involves drastic mood changes, from being very high one minute to severely depressed the next. The manic cycle can make the person hyper and overenthusiastic but it changes as soon as the depressed cycle hits. The depressed cycle encompasses all the symptoms of depression.

Because depression is an illness, there are symptoms. Again, they are the following:

1. Persistent "empty" feeling

2. Unbelievable hopelessness

3. Feeling guilty and worthless all the time

4. Lack or loss of interests in activities that used to bring joy to the patient and this includes sex.

5. Prominent fatigue

6. Has a difficult time making decisions

7. Development of sleep problems

8. Loss of appetite and drastic weight change or loss

9. Suicidal attempts and thoughts.

10. Pronounced irritability

11. Physical aches and pains that have no physiological basis

The good news is at the end of this dark tunnel called depression, there is hope. Treatment is available in three types: psychotherapy, antidepressant medicine and the combination of the two. There are also times when electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and light therapy are employed. We will discuss these in depth in an upcoming article.

About the author:

Dr. Isaac Schumann brings to you a life time of experience in the mental health field http://www.depressionhelpguides.com

Depression News



Fox News

Missouri teen killer had troubled family, depression
Fox News
Abandoned by her mother and missing a father in prison, Alyssa Bustamante had plunged to the depths of depression before, once overdosing on a large bottle of painkillers, slicing her skin hundreds of times and carving the word "hate" in her arm.

and more »

Surprising drug for severe depression
Asbury Park Press
Q. I participated in two clinical trials of ketamine for depression. The infusion was not pleasant, but a few hours later, my depression was mysteriously lifted. It was as though someone carefully cleaned, polished and rejuvenated every cell in my ...

and more »

ABC30.com

CBS47 Special Report: Fighting Depression
CBS 47
While progress has been made over the years, there is still a stigma attached that makes sufferers of sever depression feel alone. But there is a new treatment available and the results are promising. The new treatment has nothing to do with medication ...
Magnetic therapy for depression promisingUPI.com
A drug-free way to treat depressionABC30.com
Some Depression Patients Find The Effects Of Magnetic Therapy Really StickNY1
Medical Xpress -eMaxHealth
all 9 news articles »

Depression and the Elderly
Huffington Post
The recent death of TV pioneer Don Cornelius underscores the growing problem of depression and suicide among our elderly population. Most people don't expect older adults to take their own lives, but this population has the highest suicide rate of any ...


PsychCentral.com

New Study Fails to Tie Antidepressant to Suicide in Kids
PsychCentral.com
The analysis, based on data from 41 trials and more than 9000 patients, also found that fluoxetine and venlafaxine (marketed as Effexor), reduced suicidal behavior and depression symptoms in adult and geriatric patients. The failure to replicate the ...
Antidepressants May Not Raise Suicide Risk in Youth: StudyHealth.com
Antidepressant-suicide link in youths absent in new analysisMedical Xpress
Study finds antidepressant does not increase risk of suicide for kidsWBEZ
Los Angeles Times
all 20 news articles »