Background Information

Types of Depression Major Depression
      Major depression is the category of depression with the most severe or intense symptoms. The cause for this may be a single traumatic event or a build up of negative emotions, and it may occur once, or recur within a span of several years. When you are this seriously depressed, you may have major changes in your lifestyle. You may have trouble concentrating and be unable to focus for long periods of time. You may have great weight loss or gain, and your sleeping patterns may be disrupted. Your depression may be marked by constant sadness, tearfulness or crying, and in the worse cases, you may experience suicidal thoughts. More of the symptoms of depression are present in major depression.
Dysthymia
      Dysthymic disorder or dysthymia is a milder form of depression; the severity and amount of symptoms is less than major depression. Dysthymia tends to be characterized as chronic depression, and usually recurs in the spans of two years. There are either short breaks between episodes of depression, or the person feels depressed almost daily. Although this type of depression is less serious and usually does not prevent the person from managing their life as they would normally, the symptoms are severe enough to disrupt important responsibilities and roles, even though it is in a minor way. Despite its recurring nature, dysthimia symptoms do respond well to treatment.
Bipolar Disorder
      Bipolar disorder is also a chronic illness that combines depression with manic episodes. When you have bipolar disorder you experience recurring manic episodes, which include taking risky or irrational decisions, feeling high, like you are "on top of the world", you talk a lot, jumping from topic to topic, and you are a nonstop party. Bipolar disorder is often not recognized as an illness, because its episodic nature causes it to come and go, and also individuals with the illness will not perceive their manic episodes as a psychological disorder that has to be treated. As result, many who have it may not receive treatment. The average is four manic episodes per year without treatment. Studies have shown strong genetic influence. It is somewhat difficult to treat because there tends to be noncompliance with treatment.
Treatment
      Treatment is effective in 80% of people identified with depression. The two primary treatments are psychotherapy and antidepressants. They are usually seen together because they complement each other in a way that makes treatment more effective. For example, those who are too depressed to talk about their illness can receive the medication so their symptoms can lose their severity. Then they can respond to therapy. There are many medical cures for depression. Here is a list of the three major classes of antidepressants. 1) tricyclics-drugs that increase the norepinephrine and serotonin levels in the brain (something a person with depression lacks). This makes the nerve impulses in the brain return to normal. 2)selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors-a drug helpful in the early states of depression. This works especially for people who have minor depressive illness. 3)monoamine oxidase inhibitors-a drug that builds up the monoamines levels in the brain, easing depressive symptoms. This medicine has a deadly side-effect, it increases blood pressure so severe that it can burst blood vessels in the brain.

Psychotherapy
      This psychological therapy has three stages to it. The first is supportive counseling that eases the pain of depression. The second is cognitive therapy, which changes the pessimistic views, low self-esteem, overly self-criticalness, and unrealistic expectations the patient has of themselves and others. Thirdly, problem solving therapy helps to relieve the areas of stress in the person's life that contribute to the depression. With a proper therapist, these three stages should help minimize or expel the depression. The treatment of depression can be either counseling, or anti-depressants, but many studies show that when these two methods are combined, it gives the best results. This is probably because each type of treatment targets a different problem area. The psychotherapy focuses on eliminating the depression by changing the negative outlook and low self-esteem of the person. The antidepressants help restore the balance between the brain chemicals called neurotransmitters that cause the depression. These two treatments combined tackle the depression at a physical and a psychological level.