Depression
(Major Depression, Dysthymia, Seasonal Affective Disorder , Postpartum Depression)
What is depression?
Depression is a serious psychiatric condition that affects a person’s mood, thinking, and behavior.
Below are common symptoms of depression:
- Feeling sad or down most of the day, nearly every day
- Loss of interest in things that you normally enjoy (e.g., hobbies, work, sex)
- Appetite changes (e.g., loss of appetite or a significant increase in appetite)
- Feeling like your movements are slower than normal, or that your arms or legs are heavier than normal, or feeling more restless or fidgety than usual
- Decreased energy or motivation
- Difficulty concentrating on tasks or activities or difficulty making decisions
- Major changes in sleep patterns (sleeping two hours more or less than normal)
- Excessive feelings of guilt or worthlessness
- Recurrent thoughts of death, wishing you were dead, or thoughts about suicide
Depression can manifest itself in different ways:
Major Depression is a disorder in which a person has at least one (but typically more than one) episode of depression characterized by at least five of the symptoms above lasting for at least two weeks.
Dysthymia is a long-lasting form of depression in which the symptoms are not severe enough to meet the criteria for major depression but last for years at a time.
Seasonal Affective Disorder is a depressive disorder in which depressive episodes occur at specific times during the year, typically in the fall and winter seasons as the amount of daily sunlight decreases.
Postpartum Depression is a term used to describe depression that occurs in women who have a depressive episode that begins shortly after (usually within one month of) childbirth.
Want to learn more about depression?
Check out these resources:
Are you concerned that you may have depression?
See our resource database for a list of books, websites, and local options for seeking professional evaluations and treatment.
