Worldwide, 280 million people are diagnosed with depression. Depressive symptoms immensely impact a person’s daily well-being. Individuals experience feelings of emptiness, constant and overwhelming sadness, and hopelessness. Daily activities become unbearably difficult, decrease, and lose meaning in their usual interests and activities. The ability to feel positive emotions and happiness is lost.
Dysthymia
Dysthymia is a chronic, ongoing affective disorder with mildly expressed depressive symptoms. It is characterized by a persistent low mood, often attributed to the person’s character traits, and can go undiagnosed for years.
Postpartum depression
It may affect 1 in 7 women. The depressive symptoms following childbirth that resolve within no more than two weeks are termed “Baby Blues.” However, if the symptoms persist and worsen, postpartum depression may be suspected.
Major depressive disorder
To diagnose MDD, five or more symptoms must be persistently expressed, significantly affecting the quality of life, causing emotional imbalance, and psychosocial distress.
Signs of Depression:
- Decreased mood
- Decreased ability to experience pleasure (anhedonia)
- Reduced interest
- Decreased ability to focus and concentrate
- Reduced self-esteem
- Reduced self-confidence
- Excessive self-critical thoughts
- Excessive tearfulness
- Hopelessness
- Suicidal thoughts
- Decreased energy
- Restlessness
- Decreased productivity
- Psychomotor retardation
- Weight changes due to appetite changes (gain, loss)
- Insomnia or hypersomnia
- Slowed speech tempo
- Difficulty maintaining hygiene
Treatment:
- Pharmacotherapy
- Psychotherapy