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An Introduction to the Depression Series Types of Depression Symptoms of Depression and Mania Causes of Depression Depression in Women, Seniors and Children Diagnostic Evaluation and Treatment How to Help Yourself if You are Depressed Where to Get Help Further Information Depression is the common cold of mental disorders -- most people will be affected by depression in their lives either directly or indirectly, through a friend or family member. Confusion is commonplace about depression, for example, about what depression exactly is and what makes it different from just feeling down. There is also confusion surrounding the many types of depression (e.g., unipolar depression, biological depression, manic depression, seasonal affective disorder, dysthymia, etc.) that people may experience. There have been so many terms used ...   Read more »

Table of Contents: An Introduction to the Depression Series Types of Depression Symptoms of Depression and Mania Causes of Depression Depression in Women, Seniors and Children Diagnostic Evaluation and Treatment How to Help Yourself if You are Depressed Where to Get Help Further Information Depressive disorders come in different forms, just as in the case with other illnesses such as heart disease. This pamphlet briefly describes three of the most common types of depressive disorders. However, within these types there are variations in the number of symptoms, their severity, and persistence.

Major depression is manifested by a combination of symptoms (see symptom list) that interfere with the ability to work, study, sleep, eat, and enjoy once ...   Read more »

Table of Contents: An Introduction to the Depression Series Types of Depression Symptoms of Depression and Mania Causes of Depression Depression in Women, Seniors and Children Diagnostic Evaluation and Treatment How to Help Yourself if You are Depressed Where to Get Help Further Information The key understanding about depression causes -- and, in fact, causes for any mental disorder -- is that we still do not know what causes these mental disorders. It is generally believed that all mental disorders are caused by a complex interaction and combination of biological, psychological and social factors. This theory is called the bio-psycho-social model of causation and is the most generally accepted theory of the cause of disorders such as depression by professionals. Some types of depression run in families, suggesting ...   Read more »

Table of Contents: An Introduction to the Depression Series Types of Depression Symptoms of Depression and Mania Causes of Depression Depression in Women, Seniors and Children Diagnostic Evaluation and Treatment How to Help Yourself if You are Depressed Where to Get Help Further Information Depression in Women Women experience depression about twice as often as men. Many factors may contribute to depression in women--particularly such factors as menstruation, pregnancy, miscarriage, postpartum period, and menopause. Many women also face additional stresses such as responsibilities both at work and home, single parenthood, and caring for children and for aging parents. Recent studies show that in the case of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), women with a preexisting vulnerability to PMS experienced relief from mood and physical symptoms when their sex hormones were suppressed. ...   Read more »

Topics Covered in This Depression Treatment Article: Introduction Psychotherapy Hospitalization Medications Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) and Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) Self-Help Psychotherapy, Medication or Both? References
Introduction This article outlines some general treatment guidelines which you may want to take into consideration when seeking or administering treatment for clinical depression and related mood disorders. The discussion below is not meant as an alternative to seeking treatment for depression from a trained mental health professional.

First, depression as discussed in this article refers only to Major Depressive Disorder (look at the criteria for a Major Depressive Episode here also). This does not include depression as a result

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Table of Contents: An Introduction to the Depression Series Types of Depression Symptoms of Depression and Mania Causes of Depression Depression in Women, Seniors and Children Diagnostic Evaluation and Treatment How to Help Yourself if You are Depressed Where to Get Help Further Information We recommend checking out additional online resources for depression that have been reviewed by Psych Central. Also, you may be interested in our thriving online support group for depression. There are also a number of real-world organizations and resources available if you're interested in further information about depression and depressive disorders. Most additional information is available both online or by calling the organization directly and asking it to be sent via regular postal mail. These organizations are very willing to help you ...   Read more »