Alcohol Abuse Advice

Important Types and Causes of Depression

Depression may be described as feeling sad, blue, unhappy, miserable, or down in the dumps. Most of us feel this way at one time or another for short periods. But true clinical depression is a mood disorder in which feelings of sadness, loss, anger, or frustration interfere with everyday life for an extended time.

The Main Types Of Depression Include:

•Major depression — five or more symptoms listed above must be present for at least 2 weeks, but major depression tends to continue for at least 6 months.

•Dysthymia — a chronic, generally milder form of depression but lasts longer — usually as long as two years.

•Atypical depression — depression accompanied by unusual symptoms, such as hallucinations (for example, hearing voices that are not really there) or delusions (irrational thoughts).

•Premenstrual dysphonic disorder (PMDD) — depressive symptoms occur one week prior to menstruation and disappear after you menstruate.

•Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) — occurs during the fall-winter season and disappears during the spring-summer season. Likely to be due to lack of sunlight.

Common Causes of Depression

Depression often runs in families. This may be from heredity, learned behavior, or both. Even with a genetic predisposition, it is usually a stressful or unhappy life event that triggers the onset of a depressive episode.

Depression may be brought on by:

•Disappointment at home, work, or school (in teens, this may be breaking up with a boyfriend or girlfriend, failing a class, or parents divorcing)

•Death of a friend or relative

•having a major illness

•Drugs such as sedatives and high blood pressure medications

•Alcohol or drug abuse

•Chronic stress

•Childhood events like abuse or neglect

•Social isolation (common in the elderly)

•Sleeping problems.