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Thanks
to the National Institute of Mental Health
for the following information.
Depression
WHAT IS A
DEPRESSIVE DISORDER?
A depressive disorder is an illness that involves the body, mood, and
thoughts. It affects the way a person eats and sleeps, the way one feels
about oneself, and the way one thinks about things. A depressive disorder
is not the same as a passing blue mood. It is not a sign of personal
weakness or a condition that can be willed or wished away. People with a
depressive illness cannot merely "pull themselves together" and get
better. Without treatment, symptoms can last for weeks, months, or years.
Appropriate treatment, however, can help most people who suffer from
depression.
TYPES OF
DEPRESSION
Depressive disorders come in different forms, just as is the case with
other illnesses such as heart disease. This pamphlet briefly describes
three of the most common types of depressive disorders. However, within
these types there are variations in the number of symptoms, their
severity, and persistence.
Major depression is
manifested by a combination of symptoms (see symptom list) that interfere
with the ability to work, study, sleep, eat, and enjoy once pleasurable
activities. Such a disabling episode of depression may occur only once but
more commonly occurs several times in a lifetime.
A less severe type of
depression, dysthymia, involves long-term, chronic symptoms that do not
disable, but keep one from functioning well or from feeling good. Many
people with dysthymia also experience major depressive episodes at some
time in their lives.
Another type of depression is bipolar disorder, also called
manic-depressive illness. Not nearly as prevalent as other forms of
depressive disorders, bipolar disorder is characterized by cycling mood
changes: severe highs (mania) and lows (depression).
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