Depression is a mental disorder that is quite often characterized by prolonged periods of sadness and melancholy, experts from the field of psychiatry say.
But just because one person mopes around and hates the world around him or her, it doesn’t necessarily mean that he/she is suffering from depression, but if this kind of behavior, the feeling of emptiness, loss of self-worth and absolute lack of hope for happiness goes on , then, that individual could be, indeed, depressed. Still, there are various kinds of depression too.
Manic or Bipolar depression is characterized by sudden and extreme mood swings - one minute the person is euphoric while the next minute (day or week), he or she feels as if he or she is hell.
Postpartum depression is characterized by a prolonged sadness and a prolonged feeling of emptiness by a new mother where physical stress during child birth, an uncertain sense of responsibility towards the new born baby are just some of the possible reasons why some new mothers suffer from this.
Dysthimia - characterized by a slight similarity with depression, although this time, it’s been proven to be a lot less severe, but of course with any case of illness, should be seen to immediately.
Cyclothemia is characterized by a nominal similarity with Manic or Bipolar depression wherein the sufferer of this mental illness has a problem with severe changes in mood.
Seasonal Affective Disorder - characterized by depression only during specific seasons (i.e. Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall). However, studies prove that most people actually fall ill during the Winter and Fall seasons, which suggests that light plays a role. Or they could suffer from severe mood swings, wherein a person’s mood may shift from happy to sad to angry in quite a short space of time.
‘Clinical depression’ or ‘major depression’, as some call it, is the correct medical term for depression. In fact, clinical depression is more a disorder than an illness, since it refers to those who suffer from the symptoms that cause depression.
However, in spite of being a real disorder, clinical depression can be treated. Doctors are usually highly optimistic that patients suffering from clinical depression will soon be well on their way to good mental health as long as they are treated as soon as they have been diagnosed. Patients who have looked for treatment for clinical depression have proven to be quite successful in their quest, given that 80 percent of those treated have found relief from their disorder.
For those who may be seeking answers to questions related to clinical depression, the depression section of the health center is highly recommended, as well as books on psychiatry and the Internet - which can offer a lot of helpful information, although self medication is highly disapproved of. Clinical depression may not pose as much of a threat as the other types of mental illness, but it is best to leave it in the hands of professionals who can safely attend to and cure this disorder.
Clinical depression is often a very debilitating disorder and is so distressing to suffer or witness. Learn more here: Treating Depression

