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What is it?

Major depressive disorder (or major depression) is a mental disorder that causes a decline in the mood.

Who gets it?

Up to 20% of women and 12% of men might experience major depression during their lifetime. It’s less common in African Americans, and it’s twice as common in women as in men.

The condition is most common between the ages 25-44.

What causes it?

No one really knows. There are many theories, though. One of them claims that there’s a problem with a substance in the brain called serotonin (which explains the treatment, as you’ll see up ahead).

There’s also possibly a role for heredity – Depression is more common among children, parents or siblings of people suffering from depression.

Another possible explanation is psychological – Major life events, such as separations and losses of people close to you may trigger depression.

Depression. No one really knows the cause. Photo by helenarostunova

How does it feel?

First of all, it’s important to make clear that a few days of being down don’t tag you as having major depression. For you to be diagnosed as having major depression, the symptoms have to last for at least two weeks. Besides that, there are a few characteristics:

1. You have a depressed mood, or sadness, most of the day, nearly every day.
2. You lose pleasure in doing most, if not all, activities, including things you know you like doing.
3. You lose weight or gain weight.
4. You have problems sleeping or sleep too much. Usually people with depression tend to wake up too early.
5. Sometimes agitation can be present as well
6. You feel tired or feel that you lack energy nearly every day
7. You feel worthless, or excessively guilty about something (even this thing isn’t really your fault)
8. You have problems concentrating or reaching decisions.
9. You recurrently think about death or suicide.

You officially have to have at least 5 of these to be diagnosed with major depression (but it’s not always necessary).

Once you fit these criteria, it means you have a major depressive episode. If you have 2 or more of those, you have a major depressive disorder.

To better understand, you can watch this video about the personal story of Terra, who suffers from major depression:

How is it discovered?

Once you fit the criteria above, you probably suffer from major depression, so usually no blood tests, x-rays or other tests are needed.

How is it treated?

There are 3 types of therapy for major depression:

1. Drugs: There are many drugs out there to treat major depression, of several types. One of these types are called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI). Remember when we talked above about the causes for depression? One of those was a change in serotonin in the body. These drugs raise the level of serotonin. An example of such a drug is Prozac.
2. Psychotherapy: If the depressive disorder is mild, it might be treated this way. In this type of treatment, you talk to a therapist in order to resolve problems that may have triggered depression.
3. Electroconvulsive therapy: In difficult cases, where nothing else helps, this type of therapy might be used. Electroconvulsive therapy, or electroshock, involves the administration of an electric current through the brain. This usually doesn’t hurt, since it’s done under anesthesia. About 1 million people receive this treatment each year.

What happens after treatment?

It takes a few weeks (usually up to 6-8 weeks) to see the full effect of the drugs.

With appropriate treatment, most people will see a significant improvement in their mood.

The bottom line: How do I avoid it?

Once you’ve had one episode of major depression, you are at a higher risk of having another one. Sometimes there are triggers to the episode, which are important to be aware of. Examples include -

1. Loss of a loved one through death, divorce or separation
2. Major life changes, such as moving, graduation, job change, retirement
3. Relationship problems (either with your significant other, or your boss)

If you recognize the above symptoms. it’s important that you see a doctor in order to get the appropriate treatment.

Have you dealt with depression? Tell us in the comments.

What next?

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