DEPRESSION

D E P R E S S I O N

Many people suffer with depression. In fact, depression is the leading cause of disability in the United States today. An estimated 5 to 10% of adults will experience clinical depression in a given year. Depression involves more than having a bad day once in a while or having an occasional blue feeling. Depression affects your body's ability to sleep (either sleeping too little or too much), to eat (either too little or too much), to concentrate, to remember, and to enjoy. Depression affects your feelings and thinking about yourself. It also affects your body's mechanisms for the regulation of stress. Depression weakens your body's immunities, heightens its perceptions of pain, and deadens your instinct for self-preservation. Fortunately, depression is treatable through psychotherapy and medications. Research indicates that a combination of both approaches is optimal and necessary for full recovery. There are several different kinds of depression and mood disorders.

Below are links to pages containing a brief description of the more common types of depression. These descriptions contain lists of symptoms. These are presented in a check list form for your convenience, but you should see a psychologist for a proper and more thorough diagnosis.

Major Depression

Chronic Depression

Bipolar Disorders

Postpartum Depression