Depression Other Information Depression/depressive Disorders

What is Seasonal Depression?
... Seasonal depression, often called seasonal affective disorder (SAD), is a depression that occurs each year at the same time, usually starting in fall or winter and ending in spring or early summer. It...

Sleep and Depression
... Depression is a mood disorder that is characterized by sadness, or "having the blues." Nearly everyone feels sad or down from time to time. Sometimes, however, the sad feelings become intens...

Reiki Therapy
... What is Reiki? Reiki is growing in popularity. In this practice, the therapist places his or her hands in a series of very light touches at various positions on the client''s body. Reiki is not a mass...

Clinical Hypnotherapy
... What is hypnotherapy? Hypnotherapy is a technique that uses the hypnotic state, which enables changes in perception and memory, a major increase in response to suggestion, and the potential for contro...

Depression in Women
... Women are twice as likely to develop depression than men. In fact, from 10% to 25% of women will experience an episode of major depression at some time in their lives. Why is depression more common in...

Perimenopause, Menopause and Depression
... What is perimenopause? Perimenopause is the stage of a woman’s reproductive life that begins 8 to 10 years before menopause, when the ovaries gradually begin to produce less estrogen. Perimenopause la...

How Does Exercise Improve Depression?
... What are the benefits of exercise? Regular exercise has been proven to: Reduce stress, anxiety and depression Boost self-esteem Improve sleep Exercise also has these health benefits: Strengthens the h...

Bipolar Disorder
... What is bipolar disorder? Bipolar disorder (also called manic-depressive disorder) is a mental illness that causes people to have severe high and low moods. People with this illness swing from feeling...

Depression
... What is depression? Nearly everyone has felt depressed, sad, or blue at one time or another. A depressed mood is a normal reaction to loss, life''s struggles, or injured self-esteem. Sometimes, howeve...

Major Depression
... An individual with this type of depression feels a profound and constant sense of hopelessness and despair. Major depression is manifested by a combination of symptoms that interfere with the ability ...

Recognizing Depression
... What are the symptoms of depression? Everyone at one time or another has felt depressed, sad or blue. Being depressed is a normal reaction to loss, life’s struggles or an injured self-esteem. But some...

Depression and Other Mental Illnesses
... Depression can be triggered by other mental illnesses, but it also can lead to certain mental illnesses. These include anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, eating disorders and substance abuse. Together,...

Depression in Men
... Is depression in men different than in women? Every year, depression afflicts more that 11 million Americans, but men account for only one in 10 diagnosed cases. Because of this, depression was once c...

Depression in the Elderly
... Depression is not a normal part of aging; but, unfortunately, it is very common in the elderly. Late-life depression affects about 6 million Americans age 65 and older, but only 10% receive treatment....

Sexual Problems and Depression
... How does depression affect sexuality? The brain is the body’s most sensitive "sex organ." Sexual desire starts in the brain and works its way down. Chemicals in the brain called neurotransmi...

What Is Dysthymia?
... Dysthymia, sometimes referred to as chronic depression, is a less severe form of depression but the depression symptoms linger for a long period of time, perhaps years. Those who suffer from dysthymia...

Depression Resources
... General Depression, Mental Health Resources American Psychiatric Association 1400 K Street, NW Washington, DC 20005 (202) 682-6000 www.psych.org American Psychological Association 750 First Street, NE...

Glossary of Depression-Related Terms
... Agoraphobia: Irrational fear of being in a situation where escape is difficult or impossible. Acupuncture: An ancient Chinese method of healing. It aims to prevent and cure specific diseases and condi...

What Is Psychotic Depression?
... Roughly 25% of people who are admitted to the hospital for depression suffer from what''s called psychotic depression. In addition to the symptoms of depression, psychotic depression includes some fea...

Alternative Therapies for Depression
... There is no evidence that any alternative treatment is effective for treating moderate to severe depression. For some people, however, they may be used as an addition to other treatments—providing rel...

Coping With Depression
... The subject of mental illness makes some people uncomfortable. People who don’t understand mental illnesses such as depression may mistakenly think the person affected by mental illness is "crazy...

Treatment Options for Depression
... What are the different types of treatment? The most common treatment for depression includes the combination of antidepressant medicine and psychotherapy (called "therapy" for short, or &quo...

Depression: Frequently Asked Questions
... Print out these questions and answers to discuss with your health care provider. 1. Is depression a mental illness? Yes, depression is a serious, but treatable, mental problem. It is a medical proble...

Effects of Untreated Depression
... Depression and your health There is mounting evidence that depression takes a serious toll on physical health. The most recent studies exploring health and depression have looked at patients with stro...

Electroconvulsive Therapy
... Electroconvulsive therapy, or ECT, is a procedure in which a brief application of electric current to the brain, through the scalp induces a seizure. It is typically used to treat a patient who is suf...

Overcoming Depression
... Depression is a complex disorder with many forms. Some people have a clearly sad, depressed mood; others become irritable and short-tempered. One common factor is that everything in life seems uninter...

Psychotherapy
... Psychotherapy is often the first form of treatment recommended for depression. Called "therapy" for short, the word psychotherapy actually involves a variety of treatment techniques. During ...

St. John’s Wort (Hypericum Perforatum)
... If you surf the web or read your local newspaper, you’ve probably seen something about herbal supplements and their role in treating depression. Although dozens of people swear by it, St. John''s Wort...

Taking The First Step
... The first step in treating depression is recognizing that you are depressed. The second step is seeking help. These two steps may in fact be the hardest part of the entire treatment process. Once you ...

Adolescents and Depression
... Recognizing teen depression It is common for adolescents to occasionally feel unhappy. However, when the unhappiness lasts for more than two weeks, and the teen experiences other symptoms typical of d...

Childhood Depression is Challenge for Kids and Parents, but It Can be Effectively Managed
... "Childhood and adolescent depression is a significant issue in this country," says Cleveland Clinic pediatric psychologist Vanessa Jensen, Psy.D. The problem can range from mild to severe, a...

Depression and Suicide in Children
... Depression and suicidal behavior in children and adolescents has been a controversial topic for decades. In fact, the medical community did not recognize the disorder in youth until the 1970s. Recentl...

Depression in Children
... Can children really suffer from depression? Yes. Childhood depression is different from the normal "blues" and everyday emotions that occur as a child develops. Just because a child seems de...

Treating Depression in Children and Adolescents
... With appropriate assessment and treatment, children and adolescents with depression can get significant relief from their symptoms. It is common for children and adolescents to feel "down," ...

Overview
... Depression is a disorder that affects your thoughts, moods, feelings, behavior and physical health. People used to think it was "all in your head" and that if you really tried, you could "pull yoursel...

"Care Managers" Help Depressed Elderly Reduce Suicidal Thoughts
... An intervention that includes staffing doctors’ offices with depression care managers helps depressed elderly patients reduce suicidal thoughts, a study funded by NIH’s National Institute of Mental He...

Stress and the Developing Brain
... It is well known that the early months and years of life are critical for brain development. But the question remains: just how do early influences act on the brain to promote or challenge the develop...

Depression
... This patient summary on depression is adapted from a summary written for health professionals by cancer experts. This and other credible information about cancer treatment, screening, prevention, supp...

Older Adults: Depression and Suicide Facts
... Depression, one of the most common conditions associated with suicide in older adults,1 is a widely underrecognized and undertreated medical illness. In fact, several studies have found that many olde...

Medications
... This booklet is designed to help mental health patients and their families understand how and why medications can be used as part of the treatment of mental health problems. It is important for you to...

Depression and Parkinson''s Disease
... Symptoms of Depression Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" mood Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activitie...

The Numbers Count
... Mental Disorders in America Mental disorders are common in the United States and internationally. An estimated 22.1 percent of Americans ages 18 and older—about 1 in 5 adults—suffer from a diagnos...

Combination Treatment Most Effective in Adolescents with Depression
... A clinical trial of 439 adolescents with major depression has found a combination of medication and psychotherapy to be the most effective treatment. Funded by the NIH’s National Institute of Me...

Gene Hunting
... Many years of research have demonstrated that vulnerability to mental illnesses—such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, early-onset depression, anxiety disorders, autism, and attention deficit hype...

Women Hold Up Half the Sky
... Women and Mental Health Research Mental illnesses affect women and men differently—some disorders are more common in women, and some express themselves with different symptoms. Scientists are only n...

Medication and Psychotherapy Treat Depression in Low-Income Minority Women
... Treatment with medication or psychotherapy reduced depressive symptoms in women from minority populations, according to research funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Most of the p...

Depression and Diabetes
... Symptoms of Depression Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" mood Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activitie...

Depression
... In any given 1-year period, 9.5 percent of the population, or about 18.8 million American adults, suffer from a depressive illness5 The economic cost for this disorder is high, but the cost in human s...

The Lowdown on Depression
... By Carol Lewis Thirty-three-year-old Saritza Velilla of Frisco, Tex., was just 7 years old when she first started feeling worthless. As the years went by, these feelings intensified and she became mor...

Treatment for Minor Depression
... In a new approach to research on minor depression, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has launched a four-year study to determine the safety and effectiveness of St. John's wort, a common her...

Depression and Heart Disease
... Symptoms of Depression Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" mood Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activitie...

Depression and HIV/AIDS
... Symptoms of Depression Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" mood Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activitie...

Depression and Stroke
... Symptoms of Depression Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" mood Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activitie...

Creation of New Neurons Critical to Antidepressant Action in Mice
... Blocking the formation of neurons in the hippocampus blocks the behavioral effects of antidepressants in mice, say researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Their finding lends ne...

Depression Traced to Overactive Brain Circuit
... A brain imaging study by the NIH's National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has found that an emotion-regulating brain circuit is overactive in people prone to depression — even when they a...

FDA Issues Public Health Advisory Entitled: Reports Of Suicidality in Pediatric Patients Being Treated with Antidepressant Medications for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)
... The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is issuing a Public Health Advisory to alert physicians to reports of suicidal thinking (and suicide attempts) in clinical studies of various antidepressant drug...

Gene More Than Doubles Risk of Depression Following Life Stresses
... Among people who suffered multiple stressful life events over 5 years, 43 percent with one version of a gene developed depression (http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/depressionmenu.cfm), compared to onl...

Depression: What Every Woman Should Know
... Life is full of emotional ups and downs. But when the "down" times are long lasting or interfere with your ability to function, you may be suffering from a common, serious illness—depression. Clinic...

Let''s Talk About Depression
... Sure, everybody feels sad or blue now and then. But if you're sad most of the time, and it's giving you problems with your grades or attendance at school your relationships with your family an...

What to do When a Friend is Depressed
... You know that these school years can be complicated and demanding. Deep down, you are not quite sure of who you are, what you want to be, or whether the choices you make from day to day are the best d...

Depression and Cancer
... Symptoms of Depression Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" mood Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activitie...

Going to Extremes
... Bipolar Disorder There is a tendency to romanticize bipolar disorder. Many artists, musicians, and writers have suffered from its mood swings. But in truth, many lives are ruined by this disease; and ...

Postpartum Depression
... Having a baby can be one of the biggest and happiest events in a woman's life. While life with a new baby can be thrilling and rewarding, it can also be hard and stressful at times. Many physical ...

Preguntas Frecuentes acerca de los Problemas Médicos de las Mujeres Estadounidenses de Origen Hispano
... Hay cerca de 14 millones de mujeres de origen hispano en los Estados Unidos. Entre ellas hay mujeres de culturas, antecedentes y experiencias diversas - mexicano-americanas, centroamericanas y sudamer...

What We Learned From Songbirds
... The Adult Brain Can Generate New Nerve Cells Once, neuroscientists believed that our complement of nerve cells was created prenatally and during the first years of life, and that no new neurons could ...

Depression
... Depression is an illness that affects the body, mood, and thoughts. About twice as many women suffer from depression as men. People who are depressed may feel hopeless, worthless, very sad, and have n...

The Invisible Disease: Depression
... Depression is a serious medical condition. In contrast to the normal emotional experiences of sadness, loss, or passing mood states, clinical depression is persistent and can interfere significantly w...

Dealing with the Depths of Depression
... by Liora Nordenberg "I am now the most miserable man living. If what I feel were equally distributed to the whole human family, there would be not one cheerful face on earth. Whether I shall ever...

Depression
... This patient summary on depression is adapted from a summary written for health professionals by cancer experts. This and other credible information about cancer treatment, screening, prevention, supp...