DEPRESSION

Clinical Information

• A disorder characterized by melancholic feelings of grief or unhappiness.
• A melancholy feeling of sadness and despair.
• A mental condition marked by ongoing feelings of sadness, despair, loss of energy, and difficulty dealing with normal daily life. Other symptoms of depression include feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness, loss of pleasure in activities, changes in eating or sleeping habits, and thoughts of death or suicide. Depression can affect anyone, and can be successfully treated. Depression affects 15-25% of cancer patients.
• Depression is a serious medical illness that involves the brain. It’s more than just a feeling of being “down in the dumps” or “blue” for a few days. If you are one of the more than 20 million people in the United States who have depression, the feelings do not go away. They persist and interfere with your everyday life. Symptoms can include
• sadness
• loss of interest or pleasure in activities you used to enjoy
• change in weight
• difficulty sleeping or oversleeping
• energy loss
• feelings of worthlessness
• thoughts of death or suicide

depression is a disorder of the brain. There are a variety of causes, including genetic, environmental, psychological, and biochemical factors. Depression usually starts between the ages of 15 and 30, and is much more common in women. Women can also get postpartum depression after the birth of a baby. Some people get seasonal affective disorder in the winter. Depression is one part of bipolar disorder.there are effective treatments for depression, including antidepressants and talk therapy. Most people do best by using both.

• Depressive states usually of moderate intensity in contrast with major depression present in neurotic and psychotic disorders.
• Mild depression that is not considered clinical depression. For clinical depression, use major depression.
• Unpleasant, but not necessarily irrational or pathological, mood state characterized by sadness, despair, or discouragement; “the blues”; may also involve low self-esteem, social withdrawal, and somatic symptoms such as eating and sleep disturbance.