Facts About Major Depression (Clinical Depression)

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What Is Major Depression?

Major depression or clinical depression is one of several mood disorders. Although many things can trigger an episode of major depression, the end result is that the brain's chemical balance becomes unbalanced. There really is no difference between major depression and clinical depression. This type of depression is also called unipolar depression, as differentiated from bipolar depression, which is the depressive state of manic-depression (which is now called bipolar disorder).

Who Gets Major Depression?

Anyone can have an episode of major depression, but it affects women more than men.

What Are the Symptoms of Major Depression?

There is a fairly wide spectrum of depression symptoms. A person does not have to have all of the symptoms to be diagnosed with clinical depression. Only a doctor or mental health professional can diagnose depression. If you think you are depressed, see your doctor.

feeling sad or empty
feeling anxious
feeling hopeless
feeling guilty
feeling helpless
feeling worthless
loss of interest in things you used to enjoy
decrease or loss of sex drive
tiredness, loss of energy
difficulty making decisions, concentrating or remembering
difficulty sleeping; waking up early; sleeping too much
change in appetite and/or weight (loss or gain)
feeling restless or irritable
thoughts of death or suicide; suicide attempts or planning
unexplained aches and pains (headache, backache, stomachache, etc.)

What Are the Treatments for Major Depression?

Major depression is almost always treated with antidepressant medication. The best treatment includes medication and some sort of talk therapy (cognitive or behavioral therapy, for example). For some people, a brief hospital stay can help get them on the road to recovery. Any time there is a real danger of suicide it is wise to consider hospitalization, especially if the person does not have family and/or friends who can keep her safe at home.

There are several classes of medication for depression. The newer class of antidepressant medications, the SSRIs or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, have fewer side effects than the older types of medications.

More to come