A depressive disorder is an illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts.
It affects the way a person eats and sleeps, the way one feels about oneself,
and the way one thinks about things. A depressive disorder is not the same as
a passing blue mood. It is not a sign of personal weakness or a condition that
can be willed or wished away. People with a depressive illness cannot merely
"pull themselves together" and get better. Without treatment, symptoms
can last for weeks, months, or years. Appropriate treatment,
however, can help most people who suffer from depression.
TYPES OF DEPRESSION
Depressive disorders come in different forms, just as is the case with other
illnesses such as heart disease. This pamphlet briefly describes three of the
most common types of depressive disorders. However, within these types there
are variations in the number of symptoms, their severity, and persistence.
Major depression is manifested by a combination of symptoms (see symptom list)
that interfere with the ability to work, study, sleep, eat, and enjoy once pleasurable
activities. Such a disabling episode of depression may occur only once but more
commonly occurs several times in a lifetime.
A less severe type of depression,
dysthymia, involves long-term, chronic symptoms that do not disable, but keep
one from functioning well or from feeling good. Many people with dysthymia also
experience major depressive episodes at some time in their lives.
Another type of depression
is bipolar disorder, also called manic-depressive illness. Not nearly as prevalent
as other forms of depressive disorders, bipolar disorder is characterized by
cycling mood changes: severe highs (mania) and lows (depression). Sometimes
the mood switches are dramatic and rapid, but most often they are gradual. When
in the depressed cycle, an individual can have any or all of the symptoms of
a depressive disorder. When in the manic cycle, the individual may be overactive,
overtalkative, and have a great deal of energy. Mania often affects thinking,
judgment, and social behavior in ways that cause serious problems and embarrassment.
For example, the individual in a manic phase may feel elated, full of grand
schemes that might range from unwise business decisions to romantic sprees.
Mania, left untreated, may worsen to a psychotic state.
SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION AND MANIA
Not everyone who is depressed or manic experiences every symptom. Some people
experience a few symptoms, some many. Severity of symptoms varies with individuals
and also varies over time.
