Depressive is a medical illness that causes a constant feeling of sadness and lack of interest. Depression affects how the person feels, behaves and thinks.
Depression can lead to emotional and physical problems. Typically, people with depression find it hard to go about their day-to-day activities.
Different forms of depression
- Major depressive disorder (major depression): The patients suffer from a combination of symptoms that undermine their ability to sleep, study, work, eat, and enjoy activities they used to find pleasurable.
- Dysthymic disorder (dysthymia): This is a mild chronic depression. The patient will suffer symptoms for a long time, perhaps as long as a couple of years, and often longer. The symptoms are not as severe as in major depression – they do not disable the patient. However, people affected with dysthymic disorder may find it hard to function normally and feel well.
- Psychotic depression: When severe depressive illness includes hallucinations, delusions, and/or withdrawing from reality, the patient may be diagnosed with psychotic depression. Psychotic depression is also referred to as delusional depression.
- Postpartum depression (postnatal depression): This is the type of depression experienced by women after giving birth.
- Seasonal affective disorder: This is a depressive illness developed at less sunlight and more dark hours’ season/period.
- Bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness): A patient with bipolar disorder experiences moments of extreme highs and extreme lows. These extremes are known as manias.
Signs and symptoms of depression
A constant feeling of sadness, anxiety, emptiness, restlessness, irritability, lost of interest in activities, sexual dysfunction, fatigue, lack of concentration, sleeplessness, eating too much or having no appetite, suicidal thought may occur. The sufferer may complain of ache and pains, headache, cramps or digestive problems.
Causes of depression
Depression is caused by a combination of factors, such as the person’s genes, their biochemical environment, personal experience and psychological factors, discrimination and illness causes of depression are anxiety disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, dependent on alcohol and narcotics, HIV/AIDS disease, heart disease, diabetes mellitus
Treatment for depression
- Exercise can help patient with depression
- Medications for example anti-depressants and ketamine.
