Major Depression Facts

Major depression is the most common form of psychological disorder in Western society. It is increasing in all age groups -- especially in teens -- and occurs in all communities and sectors of society.

Causes

• Depression can be caused by traumatic events such as job loss, divorce or the death of a loved one. Clinical depresson involves persistent symptoms lasting for several weeks. If the symptoms of sadness and unhappiness continue for months or years, it's called major depression. Major depression may occur for no apparent reason due to chemical brain imbalances or genetic defects.

Symptoms

• Major depression is a severe type of depressive disorder. Its symptoms are feelings of extreme sadness, loss of interest in everyday life activities, loss of appetite and insomnia or hypersomnia.. A majorly depressed person is irritable, withdrawn and may have thoughts of suicide. The symptoms may be episodic, or continue uninterrupted over a lifetime.

Treatment

• Depression is treated with antidepressant drugs that change the levels of brain neurotransmitters, especially serotonin and norephinephrine. The most commonly used drugs are Prozac, Paxil and Zoloft that inhibit the reuptake of serotonin. Tricyclic drugs such as Elavil and Tofanil and MAO inhibitors are also used. Psychotherapy is an effective treatment in some cases, used alone or in combination with drugs.