According to the “National Institute of Mental Health” (NIMH), in 2017, 17.3 million adults in the U.S. had a major depressive episode. That signifies 7.1 percent of the adult population in the U.S. While anyone can suffer from depression, it is more commonly found in people between the ages of 18 to 25, and women are more likely to get it than men. Enhance Health Group is equipped and prepared to treat many different mental health issues, including multiple types of depression. Let us help manage your depression with the best treatment plans and state-of-the-art facilities.
Also referred to as major depressive illness, clinical depression, major affective disorder, and unipolar disorder, depression is a mental disorder that more than 264 million people around the globe suffer from, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). This type of mental illness can be severe and interfere with your daily activities, relationships, work, school, and life. Of course, we all experience grief and sadness from time to time that goes away after a short while, but grief and sorrow are never-ending for people who suffer from major depressive disorders.
This condition is classified as a type of mood disorder that has other long-lasting symptoms as well, such as low energy, overwhelming sadness, inability to concentrate, lack of interest in the things that previously brought you pleasure, loss of appetite, changes in sleep patterns that include sleeping too much or too little, and more. Left untreated, this major mental disorder can lead to serious health issues that can even be life-threatening. Fortunately, there are several effective ways to treat depression, such as diet and exercise, medication, and therapy.
Possible causes can include a single dilemma or several incidents combined, such as social, psychological, and biological sources of distress. Research suggests factors like these may trigger brain functioning changes, in which certain neural circuits of the brain experience altered activity.
Major depression is characterized by the constant loss of interest and feelings of sadness. If these emotional distress patterns persist, it can lead to a wide range of physical and behavioral symptoms, or even worse, thoughts of suicide. Research suggests that a mainstay of treatments, including talk therapy, medication, or a combination of both, can help normalize brain alterations associated with depression.
There are multiple types of depression and different stages too. Thus, certain circumstances can trigger subsets of the condition or other forms of depression, usually with worse effects. The following are just some of the different types of depression.
Major depressive disorder is the most common form of depression, and it’s most prevalent in women. It is a serious medical condition that negatively impacts the way you think, feel, and act. Major Depressive Disorder that persists can lead to dysthymia (dis-THIE-me-uh), a long-term (chronic) depression type.
People that suffer from persistent depressive disorder can have single bouts of depression or recurring episodes. While this form of depression is not as severe as major depression, it can last two years or more. We can help reduce your depression down to nothing with our specialized treatment plans.
Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, is another type of depression that affects roughly 2.8 percent of Americans annually. Most cases of this depression type are severe, and both men and women are equally affected. There are also multiple types of bipolar disorder that are determined by the episodes of depression that follow or precede certain mood swings.
When major depressive disorder is combined with a seasonal pattern, it is called seasonal affective disorder, and it only affects you during certain seasonal changes. Only 5 percent of Americans are affected by this form of depression each year, starting in autumn and continuing throughout winter, but it rarely occurs during spring and summer.
Postpartum depression is also well known as the baby blues since it is experienced mostly by new mothers after pregnancy and caused by the hormonal changes following childbirth. Symptoms can include sadness, mood swings, and fatigue, but they usually only last from one to two weeks.
When paranoia, delusions, or hallucinations accompany bipolar disorder or major depression, it is known as “psychotic depression” or “major depressive disorder, with psychotic features.” Surprisingly, around 25 percent of those admitted to a hospital for depression turn out to have psychotic depression.
The good news is there are many effective treatment options available for depression. The bad news is, around half of those across the globe who suffer from depression don’t seek help. The most common and effective methods of treatment include psychology counseling and antidepressant medications. The American Psychiatric Association recommends using a combination of both for the best results. A recent study found that using therapy by itself to treat depression results in a lower relapse rate. However, psychotherapy was the most effective, with a much lower relapse rate than medication.
In some more severe cases of depression, psychotherapy and medication may not be enough to combat the illness. Thanks to advanced technology in modern medicine, there are more ways to treat severe forms of depression. One option is using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, which is a method that stimulates the mood-regulating parts of the brain using magnetic pulses. Another alternative used for more severe depression and psychotic depression cases that hasn’t responded to therapy and medication is electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). These procedures send electrical currents to pass through the brain, which is highly effective.
Enhance Health Group has a professional, compassionate, caring support team who can help manage depression and anxiety episodes to empower you on your journey to recovery.
