Clinical Depression is a mental health disorder characterized by persistently depressed moods and loss of interests in most activities if not all. This causes significant impairment in daily life, causing persistent feeling of sadness. Constant sense of hopelessness, sense of guilt and constantly feeling like this for several days or weeks.
Symptoms and Signs
Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless.
Trouble falling/staying asleep or sleeping too much.
Having little to no energy.
Poor appetite, over eating, or considerable weight changes.
Feeling bad about yourself (that you're a failure or having a lot of guilt).
Moving or speaking slowly, so that other people have noticed.
Thoughts that you would be better off dead, or of hurting yourself in some way.
Facts and Statistics
322 million people worldwide live with depression.
Occurs more often in women than men; women are 70% more likely to get depression.
About 1.5% of the U.S. population struggles with persistent depressive disorder, but only about 60% of those suffering get treatment.
Leading cause of disability in the U.S. for people between the ages 15 and 44.
Mood disorders, which include depression, are the third most common cause of hospitalization for adults between the ages of 18 and 44 in the U.S.
Treatments
Cognitive behavioral therapy: A talk therapy focused on modifying negative thoughts, behaviors, and emotional responses associated with psychological distress.
Behavior therapy: A therapy focused on modifying harmful behaviors associated with psychological distress.
Psychotherapy: Treatment of mental or behavioral disorders through talk therapy.
Antidepressants: Prevents or relieves depression and elevates mood.
Antipsychotics: Relieves anxiety and tension. May promote sleep
Anxiolytics: Reduces or improves the symptoms of certain psychiatric conditions.
