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Essential Facts of Depression

Depression is a long term medical condition that causes feelings of loneliness, frustration, anger, guilt, uselessness, and shame. People with depression can become disinterested in their family, friends, and the activities that used to bring them joy. Depression can leave a person with no ambition, no sex drive, and the inability to experience pleasure. In some cases theses symptoms cause thoughts of suicide and eventually lead to the act of suicide. Depression affects every aspect of a person's life, including their family, friends, and workplace. There is no single cause of depression but it can be triggered by a negative experience, an illness, a chemical change in the brain, or any myriad of other things.

Types of Depression:

There are several types of depression. The most common are major, dysthymic, bipolar, postpartum, and seasonal affected disorder. The different types of depression vary by the number and severity of symptoms, the duration the symptoms last, and the situations they are associated with.

Major depression (or clinical depression) is the most serious type of depression. This is due to the fact that major depression involves the highest number of symptoms, as well as the most severe. The symptoms of major depression are constant and patients do not feel relief from involvement in positive activities.

Dysthymic depression (or chronic depression) generally has fewer and less severe symptoms than major depression. These symptoms tend to lighten during especially positive events. This type of depression is also partly defined by the length of time it lasts. People who get dysthymic depression have symptoms for two years or longer. They may also have bouts of major depression during that time.

Bipolar depression (or manic-depressive disorder) is another serious form of depression that involves extreme shifts in mood. Individuals with bipolar depression will have periods of being in a depressed state which alternate with shorter periods of elation. During the periods of elation, which are also called mania; there are extreme feelings of happiness which can quickly lead to extreme feeling of irritation and anger. These extremes can cause people to go for days without sleep, go on spur of the moment shopping sprees, and participate in dangerous behaviors that often hurt themselves and others. Some patients have manic phases that are severe enough to require hospitalization.

Postpartum depression occurs in women shortly

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