Depression

Depression is a serious medical disorder that affects mood and the body. Left untreated, depression can lead to physical ailments, disease, mental disorders and even death.

Clinical depression is not a mood, but is a chemical imbalance in the brain that affects the way certain hormones and chemicals are released by or absorbed back into (re-uptake) the brain.

In some cases, depression appears to be hereditary, as it runs in families, and patients with a family member who has depression is more than 50% more likely to have depression in their lifetime.

Depression is also sometimes caused by the hormonal fluctuations after childbirth; this is called post partum depression.

Depression is also a common side effect of certain medications, and can also be a side effect of illicit drug use or alcoholism. Alcoholism and illicit drug use might also be asymptomatic of depression.

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD has an increased risk of getting depressionhttp://www.vancouversun.com/health/COPD+raises+risk+depression+Study/1202496/story.html

Situations and environment can also cause depression - for example, high stress or traumatic experiences.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that is triggered by the low sunlight levels of the winter months.

Another underlying cause seems to be certain differences in the brain. When the brains of people with depression are scanned, they display striking differences compared to the brains of those who are not depressed. Not all the causes have been determined, and each cause may have different treatment.

1. Feeling sad with no particular reason
2. Feeling hopeless
3. Crying without cause
4. Loss of appetite
5. Insomnia, or sleeping far more than usual
6. Weight change
7. Disinterest in sex
8. Difficulty making decisions
9. Irritability
10. Suicidal thoughts

Depression can be treated with counseling, medication, or a combination of the two. While a general practitioner can provide antidepressants, it is best to work with a specialist in order to determine the best course of treatment.

Specific types of depression may also require specifically targeted treatment. For example, people with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) may be helped by controlled exposure to artificially generated broad-spectrum light.

The content in this page is not a substitute for professional medical advice and is for informational purposes only. If you think you suffer from depression, please consult your doctor.

Often misunderstood as a mood, because being depressed is a normal state of being during times of emotional stress or grief, clinical depression is not always treated like the true medical condition that it is, by both patient and doctors alike. Only recently are patients and the medical field beginning to understand that being depressed is not the same as suffering from the condition of clinical depression.

Everyone gets depressed now and again, but a healthy individual can, when the situation warrants it, come out of the grief, sadness, or depressed state. Someone who suffers from clinical depression, though, is unable to come out of that state of depression, so it lingers, and becomes acute. Sometimes, medical intervention is required in the form of medication, biofeedback, and other techniques, to retrain the brain to properly manage the chemicals that control mood.

Depression is a serious medical condition. If you believe you or a loved one suffers from depression, it is important to contact your medical professional immediately.