Forms and Symptoms of Depression
The most common forms of depression are major depressive disorder and dysthymic disorder. Major depressive disorder is the more severe of the two. Symptoms include an inability to work, sleep, eat, study, and enjoy hobbies and interests. The disease is not a form of laziness, but rather a serious disorder in which brain function disables an individual. Episodes occur throughout life. Dysthymic disorder doesn't disable a person, but it interferes with normal functioning and well-being. It is diagnosed when depression symptoms linger for over two years, and deteriorates into major depression at times within a sufferer's life. Other types of depression include psychotic depression, which is accompanied by delusions or hallucinations; postpartum depression, which is seen in mothers after giving birth; and seasonal affective disorder, which causes depression when there is less sunlight during the winter months. Persistent symptoms of all depression include a constant sad or empty feeling, guilt, worthlessness, loss of hope for the future and extreme pessimism over months at a time.
Causes of Depression
Depression is caused by a variety of factors affecting an individual's life. Genetics play a role in the development of the disease. If there is a family history of mental illness, it is more likely that an individual born into that family will suffer from depression. Neurotransmitters in the brain also have an impact on depression. These chemicals help different parts of the brain communicate, and when the levels are incorrect, depression can result. Brain-activity scans of depressed individuals actually look different than those of people who do not suffer from depression. Certain environmental and psychological factors also influence the development of the illness. Among a variety of individual factors, the loss of a loved one, unemployment, and having an abusive mate or parent (while growing up) can lead to depression.
Depression's Impact on Daily Life
Other ailments often accompany depression. Anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic attacks, post-traumatic stress disorder, or alcohol or drug abuse are common. Sometimes, these illnesses cause depression, or the depression can lead to one of them. The National Institute of Mental Health says that depression is one of the leading causes of disability in the world. Because the brain is the body's power center, chemical imbalances can cause a trickle-down effect that that can strike any of the body's systems. Depression increases a person's chance of death, worsens the symptoms of other afflictions that have nothing directly to do with the mind and, in the elderly, increases the risk of developing Alzheimer's Disease.
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