Depression: What is It?

Depression: A psychiatric disorder characterized by an inability to concentrate, insomnia, loss of appetite, anhedonia, feelings of extreme sadness, guilt, helplessness and hopelessness, and thoughts of death. Also called clinical depression.

Depression is the leading mental disorder in the United States. At least 14 million Americans have depression, and they are not only adults. There are teens also. It is a fact that most of the teen suicides (that happen in America) are either because of alcohol and/or drug use or they had depression.

There are two major types of depression: Clinical and Situational/Episodic. Situational/Episodic depression is the most common type of depression because this kind of depression is brought on by everyday life (break-up with a boyfriend/girlfriend, bad grade, etc.) and can be fixed easier than Clinical Depression.

Clinical Depression is also called Major-Depressive Disorder or Unipolar Disorder and is much more severe than Situational/Episodic depression. Clinical depression is caused by a severe, traumatic event in ones life, and one can suffer from it for a period of time before they show symptoms. It is also the most dangerous because one is more willing to commit suicide than to seek help because the pain is too much.

The symptoms of clinical depression include:

Decreased interest in life.  
Feelings of sadness, tension, or irritability. 
Loss of energy.  
Change in appetite.  
Change in sleeping patterns.

Symptoms vary from person to person, but you should be able to recognize them immediately. If you know someone with these symptoms, they need help right away, and they (most likely) won’t seek help for it. You need to for them.

There are several forms of medications for all kinds of depressions out there. For those who have Situational/Episodic depression, go to your regular physician and talk to them about it. There are many medications out there, and you can also always just talk to someone about how you feel (which is probably the best medication out there).

For clinical depression, there are medications that you can use, but not all of them are guaranteed to work (as with situational/episodic depression). I have clinical depression, and it took me four years to find the medication that works for me (Cymbalta). Major depression (clinical depression) drugs come in three main types.  These three major depression drugs types include:  Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), tricyclics (TCAs), and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs).

There are also alternative means (therapy) for medication. These include:

· Hypnosis
· Light Therapy
· Negative Ion Therapy
· Chi Machine
· Essential Oils
· Magnet Therapy

They do not all work, but it is always worth a shot if your medication isn’t working. Therapy is also nice to have in order to face your depression faster than you would on only medication.

Individuals with depression feel like the world is collapsing in on them. They feel like the universe saw this perfectly happy person, and the universe said, “Oh! Look at this! A happy person! I can’t allow this.” Next thing that person knows, their life is turned upside down, inside out, and is spinning out of control. The bad news: It sucks. It is hard to get rid of that everyday feeling.

The good news: You’re not alone. Hundreds, thousands, even millions suffer from this disorder, and even more have conquered it. I am one of those millions that suffer from it, and I have conquered it. And, so can you.

But, I will not lie to you. It is an everyday battle. Like alcoholism, you wake up and it is the first thing you think about, and the last thing you think about before you go to bed. You can beat it though. Just take it one day at a time. It may be the major leading disorder in America, but it can be the one thing that makes you a stronger, better, and
brighter person.