depression

depression,

in psychiatry, a symptom of mood disorder characterized by intense feelings of loss, sadness, hopelessness, failure, and rejection. The two major types of mood disorder are unipolar disorder, also called major depression, and bipolar disorder, whose sufferers are termed manic-depressive (see bipolar disorderbipolar disorder,
formerly manic-depressive disorder
or manic-depression,
severe mental disorder involving manic episodes that are usually accompanied by episodes of depression.
..... Click the link for more information. ). Other types of depression are recognized, with characteristics similar to the major mood disorders, but not as severe: they are adjustment disorder with depression, dysthymic disorder, and cyclothymic disorder.

Close to 20% of Americans are likely to suffer major depression at some time, and women tend to be more susceptible to the disorder than men. Major depression is likely to interfere significantly with everyday activity, with symptoms including insomnia, irritability, weight loss, and a lack of interest in outside events. The disorder may last several months or longer—and may recur—but it is generally reversible in the short run.

Bipolar disorder is much rarer, affecting only about 1% of the U.S. population; women and men tend to be equally susceptible. Its sufferers alternate between states of depression—similar to that which is experienced in unipolar disorder—and mania, which is characterized by intense euphoria and frenetic activity. Bipolar disorders are often interspersed with periods of relatively normal behavior, which may last for long periods of time between episodes of depression or mania. Manic-depressives have an extremely high rate of suicide, and episodes of the disorder tend to recur.

Medical evidence suggests that depressive states may be connected to deficiencies in the neurotransmitters norepinephrinenorepinephrine
, a neurotransmitter in the catecholamine family that mediates chemical communication in the sympathetic nervous system, a branch of the autonomic nervous system.
..... Click the link for more information. and serotoninserotonin
, organic compound that was first recognized as a powerful vasoconstrictor occurring in blood serum. It was partially purified, crystallized, and named in 1948, and its structure was deduced a year later.
..... Click the link for more information. . Drug therapy includes various antidepressantsantidepressant,
any of a wide range of drugs used to treat psychic depression. They are given to elevate mood, counter suicidal thoughts, and increase the effectiveness of psychotherapy.
..... Click the link for more information. that act on the flow of neurotransmitters and lithium for bipolar disorder (antidepressants can cause mania when used to treat depression in bipolar patients). There also has been success with electroconvulsive therapyelectroconvulsive therapy
in psychiatry, treatment of mood disorders by means of electricity; the broader term "shock therapy" also includes the use of chemical agents. The therapeutic possibilities of these treatments were discovered in the 1930s by Manfred Sakel, a Polish
..... Click the link for more information. (ECT) for major depression.

In recent years, theorists have argued that many depressed individuals depend upon others for their self-esteem, and that the loss of one of these emotional supports often precipitates a depressive reaction. A number of psychologists contend instead that depression is a result of learned helplessness, which occurs when a person determines through experience that his actions are useless in making positive changes. Other theorists have shown that genetic factors play a role in depression.

Bibliography

See L. Wolpert, Malignant Madness (2000).

depression,

in economics, period of economic crisis in commerce, finance, and industry, characterized by falling prices, restriction of credit, low output and investment, numerous bankruptcies, and a high level of unemployment. A less severe crisis is usually known as a recession, a more common occurance generally thought to be a normal part of the business cyclebusiness cycles,
fluctuations in economic activity characterized by periods of rising and falling fiscal health. During a business cycle, an economy grows, reaches a peak, and then begins a downturn followed by a period of negative growth (a recession), that ends in a trough
..... Click the link for more information. ; it is traditionally defined as as two consecutive quarterly declines in the gross national product. Recessions mark a downward swing in the curve of the business cycle and are caused by a disequilibrium between the quantity of goods produced and the consumers' ability to purchase. If a recession continues long enough, it can turn into a depression. Neither term has ever been distinctly defined by a set of criteria, however, so it is difficult to say at what point the two merge, but some statistics regarded by economists as indicative of a depression include a 10% decrease in per-capita gross domestic product and consumption and 10% unemployment that persists for at least 24 months. A short period in which fear takes hold of companies and investors is more properly called a panicpanic,
crisis in financial and economic conditions, marked by public loss of confidence in the financial structure. Panics are characterized by a general rush of investors to convert their assets into cash, with runs on banks and a rapid fall of the securities market.
..... Click the link for more information. and does not necessarily occur in every depression, but lack of confidence in business is always present in an economic downturn.

A depression develops when overproduction, decreased demand, or a combination of both factors forces curtailment of production, dismissal of employees, and wage cuts. Unemployment and lowered wages further decrease purchasing power, causing the crisis to spread and become more acute. Recovery is generally slow, the return of business confidence being dependent on the development of new markets, exhaustion of the existing stock of goods, or, in some cases, remedial action by governments. Depressions and recessions today tend to become worldwide in scope because of the international nature of trade and credit.

Insufficient numbers of profitable investment outlets, overexpansion of commerce, industry, or agriculture, a stock-market crash, the failure of a great banking or industrial firm, or war may be among the precipitating factors of a downturn. In antiquity, and even up to the 18th cent., depressions had chiefly noneconomic causes, such as wars and weather-induced crop failures. From c.1700 to 1825 economic crises were in the main speculative or commercial; since 1825 they have been increasingly industrial, although the Japanese recessions of the 1990s were caused in part by reduced consumer demand.

The economic crises of the 20th cent. saw the entry of governments into large areas of the economy that had previously been in private hands. Job reeducation programs, government employment of the previously unemployed, and increased public welfare responsibilities are among the programs adopted to alleviate depressions. Moreover, by applying Keynesian economic principles to public policy, governments have sought to affect the business cycle directly and prevent depressions. Large-scale public works expenditure (pump priming), tax cuts, interest rate adjustments, and deficit spending during recession are among the measures that have been taken to reduce the severity of periodic economic downturns such as those experienced in the United States in 1982 and internationally in the early 1990s and 2000s. In the collapse of the U.S. housing bubble that began in 2007, the uncertainties associated with mortgage-related securities and other financial instruments that had pervaded the international financial system undermined or threatened a wide range of financial institutions, leading in 2008 to unprecedented measures by the Federal Reserve in an attempt to avoid a financial collapse and depression. Nonetheless, the resulting financial crisis and recession was the worst in the United States since the 1980s and also severely affected many other nations.

See also Great DepressionGreat Depression,
in U.S. history, the severe economic crisis generally considered to have been precipitated by the U.S. stock-market crash of 1929. Although it shared the basic characteristics of other such crises (see depression), the Great Depression was unprecedented in its
..... Click the link for more information. .

Bibliography

See M. Bernstein, The Great Depression (1987); C. P. Kindleberger, The World in Depression, 1929–1939 (rev. ed. 1986) and Manias, Panics, and Crashes (rev. ed. 1989); W. C. Mitchell, Business Cycles and Their Causes (1989); A. W. Mullineux, Business Cycles and Financial Crises 1990).

depression

(PSYCHOLOGY) a mood state characterized by despondency and pessimism, which may be short-lived but in its persistent forms may have its source in NEUROSIS or PSYCHOSIS. A further distinction is between reactive (to external stress) and endogenous forms.
(ECONOMICS), see TRADE CYCLE.

Depression

For many people the Christmas blues lurk right below the festive reds and greens of the holiday season. According to one national poll, about twenty-five percent of all Americans confessed to feeling sad around Christmas time.

Unrealistic Expectations

Our culture bombards us with the message that the Christmas season is the happiest time of year, a time for festive parties, loving family get-togethers, lavish gift giving, and constant good cheer. These high emotional, social, and material expectations set us up to be disappointed. Many people find it difficult to fulfill the cultural ideal of non-stop Christmas conviviality. This ideal may easily defeat people with difficult family situations, those who lost a loved one during a previous holiday season, the socially isolated, and those estranged or far away from their families. This failure to meet cultural expectations, along with the belief that "everyone else is having a good time," can result in depression.

High material expectations for the holiday may pose similar problems, especially for those on limited budgets (see also Commercialism). So great are the pressures to buy that some people bring financial hardship on themselves by spending more then they can really afford on holiday preparations and gifts. The resulting stress may open the door to depression.

Even those who can afford to participate fully in the gift giving, decorating, cooking, eating, drinking, and partygoing may sink into holiday season sadness, however. Stress and exhaustion brought on by an endless whirl of activities as well as overindulgence in food and drink also contribute to feelings of depression. Women may be particularly prone to this syndrome, as our culture assigns them the primary responsibility for shopping, cooking, decorating, and creating "special" family celebrations.

Advice

Therapists advise those with a tendency to suffer from this form of Christmas season sadness to discard their unrealistic expectations of the holidays. Often these spring from childhood nostalgia and romantic images promoted in the media rather than from a realistic assessment of one's own wishes, needs, limitations, and personal circumstances. In spite of our dreams of instant holiday happiness, these limitations and circumstances seldom vanish underneath the tinsel and colored lights of the Christmas season. Moreover, the stress of holiday preparations, travel, and family visits may aggravate whatever tensions exist in any of these areas. To avoid resentments bred by overwork, psychologists suggest that those saddled with organizing and hosting holiday celebrations delegate responsibilities to others.

Psychologists point out that family tensions that simmer below the surface during the rest of the year very often boil over when the family gathers together for the holidays. Although many people feel that family fights "ruin" holiday get-togethers, it may be more realistic to assume that if family members quarrel during the rest of the year, they will quarrel on Christmas.

Psychologists also recommend giving oneself, others, and the occasion permission to be less than perfect. They remind us that although the dynamic of family get-togethers often encourages everyone to assume old family roles, we may choose otherwise. Although we may make these choices for ourselves, psychologists counsel us to avoid using Christmas celebrations as a forum for changing family relationships. They point out, for example, that challenging Auntie May about her drinking is likely to lead to a confrontation, and that attempting to squeeze a year's worth of "quality time" with family members into a single holiday is doomed to failure.

Those who have experienced the loss of a loved one in the past year need to accept their current mental, emotional, and physical limits and openly acknowledge that this year's celebrations will be different. Counselors also recommend that those who grieve take time to evaluate which social obligations, family traditions, and religious observances will comfort and strengthen them, and which could overwhelm them. They also suggest that mourners seek the company of comforting people and make occasions to talk about their loved one. It may be best to plan provisionally and be prepared to alter arrangements as necessary to suit one's needs.

Christmas Suicides

It is widely believed that the rate of suicides increases during the holiday period. Although many Americans admit to feeling sad during the holiday season, studies reveal that the suicide rate does not increase around Christmas time.

Winter Weather

The winter weather itself plunges some people into depression. S.A.D., seasonal affective disorder, causes its sufferers to become depressed during the dark days of winter that coincide with the holiday season in the Northern Hemisphere. Christmas, New Year's Day, Hanukkah, Thanksgiving, and Kwanzaa all cluster around the time of the winter solstice. At this time of year, the days are short, the sunlight weak, the skies often overcast, and the nights long. People suffering from S.A.D. react strongly to the lack of light, falling into states of lethargy and depression that last for months. Other symptoms may include increased appetite, an excessive desire for sleep, irritability, anxiety, decreasing self-esteem, and difficulty concentrating.

Experts estimate that about six percent of all Americans exhibit symptoms of full-blown S.A.D. About fourteen percent suffer from a milder version of these symptoms known informally as the "winter blues." Some psychologists claim that among S.A.D. patients, women outnumber men by a four-to-one ratio. Others point out, however, that these figures may be somewhat skewed since men have more difficulty than do women in admitting to mood-related problems.

In the Northern Hemisphere the incidence of S.A.D. increases as one travels northward because the northern latitudes enjoy fewer winter daylight hours. Researchers have discovered that about 28 percent of the population of Fairbanks, Alaska, suffers to some degree from S.A.D. The city of Tromsø, Norway, lies 200 miles south of the Arctic Circle. There the sun sets in November and inhabitants endure midwinter darkness until day breaks again in late January. The people of Tromsø refer to this period as the mørketiden, or "murky time." Each year the mørketiden ushers in an increase in the incidence of physical and mental illness, domestic violence, alcoholism and other forms of drug abuse, arrests, suicides, and poor school performance. Like the inhabitants of many other towns in northern Norway, the people of Tromsø observe a joyous yearly festival, "Sun Day," on the day the sun returns.

If you suspect you may be suffering from S.A.D., seek professional diagnosis and treatment. Many people affected by S.A.D. have found relief in light therapy treatments, medication, changes in diet, or other lifestyle alterations.

Further Reading

Marano, Hara Estroff. "Surviving Holiday Hell." Psychology Today 31, 6 (November-December 1998): 32-36. Peters, Celeste A. Don't Be SAD. Calgary, Canada: Script Publishing, 1994. Robinson, Jo, and Jean Coppock Staeheli. Unplug the Christmas Machine. New York: William Morrow and Company, 1982. Rosenthal, Norman E. Winter Blues. New York: Guilford Press, 1993. Smith, Harold Ivan. A Decembered Grief: Living with Loss While Others AreCelebrating. Kansas City, Mo.: Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City, 1999. Whybrow, Peter, and Robert Bahr. The Hibernation Response. New York: Arbor House, William Morrow, 1988.

Depression

(religion, spiritualism, and occult)

In traditional astrology, depression is an alternate term for fall.

Depression

(of the snow line), the amount of lowering of the snow line during climatic cooling caused by a drop in summer or mean annual temperatures and by an increase in solid precipitation. During ice ages, depression was accompanied by an increase in glaciation of mountain areas and by continental glaciation. Maximum depression of the snow line in the high latitudes may reach the level of the world ocean. The depression of the snow line is determined primarily by the elevation of relict cirques situated lower than the present snow line.

Depression

(1) In geomorphology, any lowering of the earth’s surface; in the narrow sense it is a trough or basin lying below sea level. Depressions may be dry (for example, the Turfan depression) or filled with water (the Caspian Sea).

(2) Tectonic depression, an area of downwarping of the earth’s crust that is completely or partially filled with precipitation (for example, the Tadzhik depression in Middle Asia).

Depression

in medicine, a pathological state of melancholy, dejection, and inescapable despair, characteristic of a number of mental illnesses.

Depression often arises as a reaction to a difficult life situation, in many mental illnesses (manic-depressive psychosis, schizophrenia), in neuroses, with the prolonged use of certain medications (for example, chlorpromazine), and in physical illnesses. Depression must be distinguished from the natural (physiological) reaction of a person to unpleasant experiences, life failures, and psychic traumas. Depression is manifested by ideational, emotional, and motor inhibition (sometimes by inhibition of only one or two of the above areas of psychological activity). In serious cases it is manifested by delusions of persecution (the patient thinks he is being accused or blamed for poor work or unethical behavior) or by self-condemnation and self-deprecation (the patient accuses himself of dishonesty, poor work, and misdeameanors, regards himself as guilty for the destruction of his family, the collective, or the whole world) and by hypochondria (he feels that terrible changes have occurred in his internal organs, as a result of which he will forever ail and suffer). Treatment of patients with severe depression is conducted in psychiatric hospitals, since the patients are often persistently suicidal and self-destructive, and therefore require daily surveillance, which can be accomplished only in special medical institutions. Depression is treated with psychotropic (antidepressive) drugs, electroconvulsive therapy, and psychotherapy.

B. S. BAMDAS

depression

[di′presh·ən] (geology) A hollow of any size on a plain surface having no natural outlet for surface drainage. A structurally low area in the crust of the earth. (meteorology) An area of low pressure; usually applied to a certain stage in the development of a tropical cyclone, to migratory lows and troughs, and to upper-level lows and troughs that are only weakly developed. Also known as low. (psychology) A mood provoked by conscious awareness of an idea or feeling that was previously pushed into the unconscious.

depression

Various stages in the development of depression.

A depression as marked on synoptic charts.i. The angular distance of a body below the horizon. The term generally refers to a radar beam.
ii. A region of relatively low barometric pressure. The term depression is usually applied to a certain stage in the development of a tropical cyclone, but it also applies to migratory lows and troughs and to upper air lows and troughs that are only weakly developed.
iii. The amount the gun-sight datum is depressed to allow for the effects of gravity on a weapon during its travel to the target. It is expressed in degrees or milliradians.
iv. A negative altitude.

depression

1. a mental disorder characterized by extreme gloom, feelings of inadequacy, and inability to concentrate 2. Pathol an abnormal lowering of the rate of any physiological activity or function, such as respiration 3. an economic condition characterized by substantial and protracted unemployment, low output and investment, etc.; slump 4. Meteorol a large body of rotating and rising air below normal atmospheric pressure, which often brings rain 5. (esp in surveying and astronomy) the angular distance of an object, celestial body, etc., below the horizontal plane through the point of observation

Depression

History the worldwide economic depression of the early 1930s, when there was mass unemployment

depression

[de-presh´un] 1. a hollow or depressed area.2. a lowering or decrease of functional activity.3. in psychiatry, a mental state of altered mood characterized by feelings of sadness, despair, and discouragement; distinguished from grief, which is realistic and proportionate to a personal loss. Profound depression may be an illness itself, such as major depressive disorder" >major depressive disorder (see also mood disorders), or it may be symptomatic of another psychiatric disorder, such as schizophrenia. adj., adj depres´sive.
Depression is closely associated with a lack of confidence and self-esteem and with an inability to express strong feelings. Repressed anger is thought to be a powerful contributor to depression. The person feels inadequate to cope with the situations that arise in everyday life and so feels insecure.
Treatment of profound and chronic depression is often very difficult, requiring in most cases intensive psychotherapy to help the patient understand the underlying cause of the depression. antidepressant" >antidepressant drugs such as imipramine hydrochloride (Tofranil) and amitriptyline (Elavil) are often used in the treatment of profound depression. They are not true stimulants of the central nervous system, but they do block the reuptake of neurotransmitter substances, which may potentiate the action of norepinephrine and serotonin. monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors are also used. When antidepressants fail, a different technique such as electroconvulsive therapy may be used in conjunction with the psychotherapy.Patient Care. Mild, sporadic depression is a relatively common phenomenon experienced by almost everyone at some time, but hospitalized patients are particularly susceptible to feelings of depression and a sense of loss and despair. Early signs of depression of this kind include pessimistic statements about one's illness and its prognosis, refusal to eat, diminished concern about personal appearance, and reluctance to make decisions. When depression is noted in a patient, it should be listed on the treatment plan along with suggestions for resolving it.
When patients are depressed, they are likely to isolate themselves and avoid social contact even with those who are trying to help them. Since loss of contact with others contributes to depression, members of the health care team should persist in attempts to talk with these patients, by asking them questions, and actively listening when they attempt to express their feelings. One should be especially careful to avoid being judgmental when the patient does express despair, anger, hostility, or some negative feeling. Above all, it is important not to be condescending or to respond to statements with a meaningless cliché such as “Don't worry,” or “I'm sure everything will turn out okay.” These responses convey a lack of empathy with the patient's suffering and are an unrealistic approach to a problem that is very real.
Physical contact and touching may be misunderstood by depressed patients. Sometimes, it is better just to sit with them and calmly observe them without making them feel uncomfortable. Honest dialogue and expressions of support and concern can often improve their mood and sense of self worth.
Severely depressed patients usually express three basic feelings associated with their mental state. These are a lack of desire for socializing or physical activity, feelings of worthlessness and loss of self esteem, and thoughts of self-injury or destruction. In planning the care of the depressed patient, one must always consider these feelings and strive for some understanding of the reasons for the patient's behavior. Only by gradually gaining their attention and pointing out encouraging signs of progress can they be helped in their early attempts to return to reality and socialize with others.
Physical inactivity will require attention to adequate nutrition, a normal balance of fluid intake and output, proper elimination, and good skin care. Patients will need help in maintaining good personal hygiene. Severely depressed patients may be totally out of touch with reality and completely unresponsive to anyone else's presence. In such instances the health care provider may be able to do little more than demonstrate caring and empathy by remaining with the patient.
Consistency of care is helpful to depressed patients. They know what to expect, and thus are not repeatedly disappointed when their expectations are not met. An example is consistency in scheduling and carrying out treatments and routine care at the same time each day. A supportive family and interested friends should be involved in choosing and planning activities that are helpful.
Constant vigilance must be maintained to prevent the profoundly depressed patient from injuring himself or committing suicide. Self-destructive behavior is a manifestation of the patient's feeling of worthlessness and loss of self esteem. An awareness of the potential dangers in such a situation should help the provider plan and provide a safe and congenial atmosphere, remaining alert to the early signs of a patient's intention to harm or destroy himself. In most cases suicide is most likely to occur when the patient is recovering from severe depression.agitated depression major depressive disorder characterized by signs and symptoms of agitation, such as restlessness, racing thoughts, pacing, hand-wringing, sighing, or moaning.congenital chondrosternal depression a congenital, deep, funnel-shaped depression in the anterior chest wall.endogenous depression a type of depression caused by somatic or biological factors rather than environmental influences, in contrast to a reactive depression. It is often identified with a specific symptom complex—psychomotor retardation, early morning awakening, weight loss, excessive guilt, and lack of reactivity to the environment—that is roughly equivalent to the symptoms of major depressive disorder.major depression major depressive disorder.neurotic depression one that is not a psychotic depression. The term is now little used but has been used sometimes broadly to indicate any depression without psychotic features and sometimes more narrowly to denote only milder forms of depression (dysthymic disorder).postpartum depression moderate to severe depression beginning slowly and sometimes undetectably during the second to third week post partum, increasing steadily for weeks to months and usually resolving spontaneously within a year. Somatic complaints such as fatigue are common. It is intermediate in severity between the mood fluctuations experienced by the majority of new mothers and frank psychosis" >postpartum psychosis.psychotic depression strictly, major depressive disorder with psychotic features, such as hallucinations, delusions, mutism, or stupor. The term is often used more broadly to cover all severe depressions causing gross impairment of social or occupational functioning.reactive depression a usually transient depression that is precipitated by a stressful life event or other environmental factor, in contrast to an endogenous depression.retarded depression major depressive disorder characterized by signs and symptoms of psychomotor retardation, such as burdened movements and slowed, toneless speech.situational depression reactive depression.unipolar depression a type that is not accompanied by episodes of mania or hypomania, such as major depressive disorder or dysthymic disorder. The term is sometimes used more specifically as a synonym of major depressive disorder.

de·pres·sion

(dĕ-presh'ŭn), [TA] 1. Reduction of the level of functioning. 2. Synonym(s): excavation (1) 3. Displacement of a part downward or inward. 4. A mental state or chronic mental disorder characterized by feelings of sadness, loneliness, despair, low self-esteem, and self-reproach; accompanying signs include psychomotor retardation (or less frequently agitation), withdrawal from social contact, and vegetative states such as loss of appetite and insomnia. Synonym(s): dejection (1) , depressive reaction, depressive syndrome [L. depressio, fr. deprimo, to press down]

depression

(dĭ-prĕsh′ən)n.1. a. The act of depressing.b. The condition of being depressed.2. An area that is sunk below its surroundings; a hollow.3. The condition of feeling sad or despondent.4. A mood disorder characterized by persistent sadness or inability to experience pleasure combined with other symptoms including poor concentration, indecisiveness, sleep problems, changes in appetite, and feelings of guilt, helplessness, and hopelessness. Also called clinical depression, major depressive disorder.5. A lowering or reduction, as:a. A reduction in physiological vigor or activity: a depression in respiration.b. A lowering in amount, degree, or position: depression of stock prices.6. a. A period of drastic economic decline, characterized by decreasing aggregate output, falling prices, and rising unemployment.b. A period of widespread poverty and high unemployment.c. Depression See Great Depression.7. Meteorology A region of low barometric pressure.8. The angular distance below the horizontal plane through the point of observation.9. Astronomy The angular distance of a celestial body below the horizon.

depression

Dejection, low spirits Psychiatry A spectrum of affective disorders characterized by attenuation of mood, accompanied by psychogenic pain, diminution of self-esteem, retardation of thought processes, psychomotor sluggishness, disturbances of sleep and appetite, and not uncommonly, suicidal ideation; depression can be triggered by stressful life events, associated with medical or mental disorders, or may be idiopathic Clinical Apathy, anorexia, lack of emotion–flat affect, social withdrawal, fatigue Types Major depression, dysthymia, bipolar disorder; depression may run in families. See Anaclitic depression, Bipolar disorder, Clinical depression, DART, Depressive disorders, Double depression, Endogenous depression, Inbreeding depression, Major depression, Masked depression, Postoperative depression, Postpartum depression, Reactive depression. Depression Atypical depression A term retired from the DSM, which some clinicians NEJM 1991; 325: 633 use to refer to combinations of mood reactivity, including anhedonia, overeating, oversleeping, chronic poor self-esteem; those with AD are thought to have a better response to MAOIs Major depressive disorder-recurrent A condition defined as A. 2 or more major depressive episodes–MDE, which is defined as ≥ 5 of the following present during the same 2-week period, and represent a change from previous functioning and at least one of the 5 is either 1. depressed mood or.2. loss of interest 1. Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day, as indicated either subjectively–self or by observation of others–eg, tearfulness or in children irritability 2. Marked decreased interest or pleasure in all or most activities for most of the day, nearly every day for the defining period .3. Significant–≥5%, unintentional weight loss or weight gain or loss of appetite .4. Insomnia or hypersomnia nearly every day .5. Psychomotor agitation or retardation nearly every day .6. Fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day .7. Feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt nearly every day .8. Decreased ability to concentrate or think nearly every day .9. Recurrent thoughts of death, recurrent suicidal ideation and/or suicidal plans B. The MDE is not better explained for by schizoaffective disorder, or is not superimposed on schizophrenia, schizophreniform disorder, delusional disorder, or psychotic disorder NOS C. There has never been a manic episode or hypomanic episode Melancholic depression Endogenous depression Characterized by pervasive sadness, hopelessness, loss of interest in activities, and physical symptoms, eg weight loss, sleep problems; in MD, there may be an ↑ 'threshold' that requires little external input to initiate recurrence Reactive depression–an excess response to stressful life events .

de·pres·sion

(dĕ-presh'ŭn) [TA] 1. Reduction of the level of functioning. 2. A hollow or sunken area. 3. Displacement of a part downward or inward. 4. A temporary mental state or chronic mental disorder characterized by feelings of sadness, loneliness, despair, low self-esteem, and self-reproach; accompanying signs include psychomotor retardation or less frequently agitation, withdrawal from social contact, and vegetative states such as loss of appetite and insomnia.
Synonym(s): dejection.

depression

Sadness or unhappiness, usually persistent. This may be a normal reaction to unpleasant events or environment or may be the result of a genuine depressive illness. Pathological depression features a sense of hopelessness, dejection and fear out of all proportion to any external cause. There is persistent low mood, loss of interest or pleasure, low energy, fatigue, disturbed sleep, slowing down of body and mind, poor concentration, confusion, self-reproach, self-accusation and loss of self-esteem. Suicide is an ever-present risk. NICE guidelines for treatment recommend fluoxetine or citalopram. Exercise is valuable.

Depression

A state of being depressed marked especially by sadness, inactivity, difficulty with thinking and concentration, a significant increase or decrease in appetite and time spent sleeping, feelings of dejection and hopelessness, and sometimes suicidal thoughts or an attempt to commit suicide.Mentioned in: Antidepressant Drugs, Antidepressants, Tricyclic, Antipsychotic Drugs, Atypical, Central Nervous System Stimulants, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors, Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors

depression

Downward rotation of an eye. It is accomplished by the inferior rectus and superior oblique muscles. It can be induced by using base-up prisms. Syn. infraduction; deorsumduction.

de·pres·sion

(dĕ-presh'ŭn) [TA] 1. Opening or indentation on an oral cavity surface. 2. Reduction of the level of functioning.

Patient discussion about depression

Q. am i depressed i feel sad,lonely,streeted,worthless that nothing matter anymore..i sleep all the time,loss of intrest of everything..A. yes,go see a dr. a.s.a.p.,i went through a bad depression mode during the divorce of my first wife,i slept for 3 days,no food,no shower,nobody to talk to,so i finlly went to the dr. he put me on prozac,and after a few days i was back to my old self again,JUST GO SEE A DR.

Q. what about depression? A. Hey. It might be nice "for you" if you came back to this and said some more, or read some of the other questions and answers.

Q. what causes depression? A. You need to define what you mean by depression. Clincal depression is one thing and feeling low from time to time is another. There is a lot of good information at your finger tips on the www. You may want to shy away from those websites that are paid for my the pharmacutical companies. They want to sell you their drugs. What is the cause of your depression? Are there one or two things that you can point to? If you are clinically depressed, see a dr., that is, if you can get out of bed...If you are depressed due to family, or the fools in Washington, those are things that you may work out with your minister or rabbi or a therapist. I have found a lot of good information on therapy and therapists on www.focusas.com
You may want to start there.

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Synonyms for depression

noun despair

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noun recession

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noun hollow

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noun an area sunk below its surroundings

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noun a feeling or spell of dismally low spirits

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noun a period of decreased business activity and high unemployment

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noun a mental state characterized by a pessimistic sense of inadequacy and a despondent lack of activity

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noun a long-term economic state characterized by unemployment and low prices and low levels of trade and investment

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noun a sunken or depressed geological formation

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noun sad feelings of gloom and inadequacy

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noun a period during the 1930s when there was a worldwide economic depression and mass unemployment

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noun an air mass of lower pressure

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noun a state of depression and anhedonia so severe as to require clinical intervention

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