How to Explain Depression

Anyone can explain depression after learning several key facts about this mental health disorder. The causes, types and treatment options are all important for understanding how someone becomes depressed and what they can do to come out of it.

Things You'll Need

• Internet access

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Instructions

Explaining Depression

• 1

  Begin with the basics: What is depression? Depression is a biological disease commonly characterized by the following symptoms: constant sadness, irritability, hopelessness, insomnia, fatigue, feelings of worthlessness or guilt, weight change, difficulty concentrating, and loss of interest in usual activities. In rare cases, depression can also cause thoughts of and/or attempts to commit suicide, anxiety, agitation and panic attacks.
  It affects 34 million adults in the United States at some point over the course of their lives.

• 2

  The causes: No one cause has been determined for patients with depression, though it has the potential to be genetic, biochemical, environmental and/or psychosocial. Being a woman, however, doubles the likelihood for developing the disease.

• 3

  The types: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is diagnosed in patients who have at least four of the aforementioned symptoms plus depressed mood daily for two weeks, though most have MDD for six month or more. Dysthymia is a milder depression characterized by general "gloominess" and lasts, on average, two years. Postpartum depression may develop in women after having a baby, usually causing mothers to feel sad, irritable and/or angry for a few weeks. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is characterized by feelings of sadness during a specific season. Depressive symptoms also occur in patients with bipolar disorder, cycling with periods of mania.

• 4

  The treatment: Many depression patients are treated with talk therapy first, followed possibly herbal therapy and prescription medication, if need be. Antidepressant medications regulate a patient's mood by acting on the brain's neurotransmitters, like serotonin, epinephrine and dopamine.

• 5

  The medications: Medication options include several classes of antidepressants, though SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) and SNRIs (serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors) are the most common. Celexa, Lexapro, Prozac and Zoloft are commonly prescribed SSRIs; Effexor and Cymbalta are typically prescribed SNRIs.