Major Depressive Disorder
Major depressive disorder(or MDD), the most common form of clinical depression, is a condition associated with periods of severe depression lasting at least two weeks, almost every day, most of the day. This is the most serious type of depression, in terms of number of symptoms and severity of symptoms, but there are significant individual differences in the symptoms and severity.
You do not need to feel suicidal to have a major depression, and you do not need to have a history of hospitalizations either, although both of these factors are present in some people with major depression.
Major depression is a type of depressive medical illness that is both persistent and has an enormously detrimental effect on a person's thoughts moods and functioning. It is also one of the leading causes of disability in developed nations. The sadness, clinical depression brings, overwhelms threatening too drown you in emotion. You suddenly find you cannot perform the simplest of tasks; writing a grocery list, taking your child to soccer practice are jobs you cannot possibly comprehend.
Over 19 million Americans suffer from clinical depression. Half the suicides that take place in America can be traced back to people suffering from bouts of clinical depression. Clinical depression is common in people suffering from Multiple Sclerosis, Lou Gehrig's disease or Huntington's disease. Untreated, the average episode of depression lasts four months or longer, usually followed by a complete remission of symptoms. However, about a quarter of people with MDD continue to experience some symptoms for a long period of time, and about 5 to 10 percent of individuals with MDD experience severe depression chronically, for at least two years, without a significant break.
To receive a diagnosis of MDD, an individual must experience at least five symptoms from a list of nine, and at least one of the symptoms must be either:
- Low mood
- A loss of interest or pleasure in almost all of his or her usual activities.
In addition to having at least one of these two core features, there must also be at least four additional featured from the following list:
- Increase or decreases in appetite or weight.
- Change in sleep (either insomnia or sleeping too much).
- Changes in the rate of physical activity(moving very slowly or becoming physically agitated and fidgety.
- Feeling tired.
- Feeling worthless or excessively guilty.
- Difficulty concentrating or making decisions.
- Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide.
Although these are the official symptoms of MDD, a number of other features are also quite common in people with MDD, as well as other forms of depression. Some of these include:
- Worrying about minor matters
- Feelings of helplessness and hopelessness about the future
- Decreased intense in sex
- Irritability and short temper
- Crying
- Social withdraw
- Feeling numb or empty
- Feeling easily overwhelmed
- A tendency to be focused on oneself
- Experiencing other associated problems(for ex: anxiety or alcohol or drug abuse)
To receive a diagnosis of MDD, a number of alternative causes for the symptoms have to be rules out. For example, if a loved one has recently died, an individual would normally be expected to experience symptoms of depression for several months, and the reaction wouldn't be called MDD if it is within the expected level of severity.
Similarly, it is important to rule out any physical illness, such as certain thyroid conditions or cancer of the pancreas, or the use of any drugs(prescribed or recretional) that can directly cause symptoms of depression.
More Females than males.
Twice as many adult females and adolescents have major depression than males do. The reasons for this are unclear. Some of the reasons may include social roles, responsibilities, the reproductive cycle and victimization.
Social roles.
Girls and women generally are expected to be pleasant and act 'ladylike'. This includes hiding their anger. When anger is constantly kept inside, it can lead to depression.
Responsibilities.
Many women have the major responsibility for raising children or caring for aging parents. Most likely they also are employed full time. Having so many responsibilities raises the level of stress.
Reproductive cycle.
For some women, these physical changes also may produce depression.
Victimization.
Women are most likely than men to be victims of physical and sexual abuse. People who feel they have little or no control over their life often become depressed.
Some experts believe that more males may have depression than are diagnosed with it. Social roles and expectations may discourage males from seeking help for depression.
