Chronic depression Depression appears to have the effect of stopping a person in his tracks and forcing him to turn inwards and engage in a period of self reflection; it is a deeply introspective state. For individuals who are not genuinely in need, the fitness cost of major depression is very high because it threatens the flow of fitness benefits. Reactions to events, often a loss in some form, are perhaps the most obvious causes. In the field of psychiatry, the word depression can also have this meaning of low mood but more specifically refers to a mental illness when it has reached a severity and duration to warrant a diagnosis, whether there is an obvious situational cause or not; see Clinical depression. However, if depressed mood lasts at least two weeks, and is acpanied by other symptoms that interfere with daily living, it may be seen as a symptom of clinical depression, dysthymia or some other diagnosable mental illness, or alternatively as sub-syndromal depression. Chronic depression. Reactions to events, often a loss in some form, are perhaps the most obvious causes. The different types of Depression and Anxiety are classified separately by the DSM-IV-TR, with the exception of hypomania, which is included in the bipolar disorder category. The loss of a loved spouse, child, friend or relation, a physical illness or loss of lifestyle, tends to lead to feelings of depression. This is generally seen as quite distinct from the diagnosis of clinical depression. Clinical depression (also called major depressive disorder) is a state of intense sadness, melancholia or despair that has advanced to the point of being disruptive to an individual's social functioning and/or activities of daily living. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), also known as electroshock or electroshock therapy, uses short bursts of a controlled current of electricity (typically fixed at 0.9 ampere) into the brain to induce a brief, artificial seizure while the patient is under general anesthesia. The reason for relapse in these cases is as poorly understood as the change in brain physiology induced by the medications themselves. Chronic depression. Post pardum depression
Reactions to events, often a loss in some form, are perhaps the most obvious causes. Depression appears to have the effect of stopping a person in his tracks and forcing him to turn inwards and engage in a period of self reflection; it is a deeply introspective state. Intense feelings of guilt, helplessness, hopelessness, worthlessness, isolation/loneliness and/or anxiety. |