Feeling sad often is one of the signs of unipolar depression or major depressive disorder. Unlike bipolar that refers to a state between depression and mania, unipolar depression or major depressive disorder focuses only on negative symptoms and emotions that have been experienced.
There are a number of communities that provide information about major depressive disorder. If you are curious about this disorder, you can check out everything here, including about the causes, the symptoms, statistical data, and the treatments. All the information here is taken from Kampus Psikologi.
Before talking about the causes, types, symptoms, and treatments for major depressive disorder, it is better for you to know about the statistical data first.
According to the 1005 US Census Bureau of Population Demographic Characteristics, the average age of onset of depressive disorder is 32 years. As per Journal of American Medical Association, depression has a rate of 20-26% for women and 8-12% for men in the United States. While it is true that these data do not represent the majority of the population, most of these patients do not continue the treatment process or do not perform routine care. It explains the chance of women to develop depressive disorders is higher than men. psychology Today also states that the data is supported by the fact that women experience hormonal fluctuations, especially during puberty, childbirth, and menopause.
There are several reasons why women tend to suffer from depression more than men. Usually, this disorder comes with other mental illnesses or conditions. As stated by The National Institute of Mental Health, a quarter of cancer patients, one third of HIV patients, and one third of heart attack patients suffer major depressive disorder.
However, it should be noted that major depressive disorder is not only a serious disease for women but also for men and if it is not treated well it could be fatal. Remember that depression can be treated. According to The National Institute of Mental Health, about 80% of patients undergoing treatment for this disease show improvement in the span of 4-6 weeks. The process includes early treatment, psychotherapy, attending group counseling, and a combination of them.
Causes of Major Depressive Disorder
There are a lot of causes of major depressive disorder and they come from a variety of sources. Medical Journal Neuron cites genetics as a major cause of this disorder, with an approximately threefold increased risk for MDD or major depressive disorder in the first degree relatives (parents, siblings, offspring) compared to the general population. It shows that the only factor that determines this disorder can be found in the family tree and is supported by significant psychological and anatomical basis.
When dealing with major depressive disorder, co-occurring illnesses and medical conditions can be serious factors. No one knows how much anatomical and psychological factors influence this disease, but it is significant. Sadly, the symptoms of the disorder itself can lead to depression.
The examples include (1) changing appetite, eating too much or eating less; (2) deregulation of sleep schedules to compensate for circadian rhythms. While it is true that depression cannot be treated by adjusting these patterns and habits, they can be a good way to relieve your symptoms. Aside from doing these things, you are also recommended to get treatment from a professional. In addition, social and economic factors such as job loss can also cause major or minor depression.
Types
There are many types of major depressive disorder. They all can give a hard time for someone to do daily activities. The causes may be different, depending on the types. However, the most common ones include feeling disinterested in activities that used to be enjoyed. There are several subtypes that determine how long the diagnosis of depression is experienced and the associated characteristics.
Seasonal Affective Disorder, which is also more known as SAD in short, is categorized as a disease that is caused directly within a certain period of the year. As the name suggests, it usually occurs in winter. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, SAD can be treated with light therapy. Unfortunately, this is not enough as half of people with this disorder do not improve with it alone. Aside from light therapy, counseling and drug administration are also needed to maximize treatment.
Psychotic depression occurs when someone hallucinates or believes a delusion that does not correspond to reality. This kind of thing can occur due to a traumatic or depressive event that happened in the past.
Postpartum depression is such a common thing. It usually occurs in mothers due to changes in hormonal conditions after giving birth. The mood of the mothers usually changed due to the stress from caring for children and hormonal conditions in the body. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, adoptive parents can also suffer from this depression.
If one suffers from melancholic depression, they will usually show a few kinds of signs, including weight loss and interest in the activities that they once loved. Atypical depression usually occurs because of moods and social interactions with other people. For those who are wondering about the symptoms, they include hypersomnia, heaviness in the limbs, and social anxiety.
If one is affected by catatonic depression, they are more likely to have issues with motor and behavioral. In some cases, they may be unable to move or move involuntarily. According to the US National Library of Medicine National Institute of Health, the symptoms of this disease can disturb the patients to do their daily activities. Besides, it can also become a barrier to treating the underlying disorder of depression.
There are some other types of depression that are based on the DSM-V. Some of them include:
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- Persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia)
- Premenstrual dysphoric disorder
- Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder
- Substance/medication-induced depressive disorder
- Depressive disorder due to another medical condition
- Other specified depressive disorder and unspecified (situational) depressive disorder
Symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder
There are a number of factors that contribute to the cause of depression. It can be seen from the way someone behaves or reacts to something that they experience or feel. Depending on the kind of depression, the symptoms may vary. Some of the symptoms include:
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- Negative thinking or the inability to think positively
- Agitation
- Nervous
- Inability to focus
- Swearing on loved ones
- Easy to get angry
- Avoiding loved ones and usual routine activities
- Sleep often
- Tired and lethargic
- Terrible thoughts and suicidal thoughts
- Weight loss or gain
Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder
Major depressive disorder is the kind of disorder that can be treated. There are several methods to treat major depressive disorder. Some of them include psychotherapy, ETC (electroconvulsive treatment), and other somatic therapies. It should be noted that ETC is only used in extreme conditions. Depending on the needs of an individual, psychiatrists can provide psychotherapy services and prescribe different antidepressants.
If you think you are experiencing one or more symptoms above, you are suggested to seek help as soon as possible. You can do it by reaching out to a professional. The good news is that the stigma of major depressive disorder has decreased in recent years. Right now, there is a lot of information about depression as well as a number of professionals who can help those who suffer from this disease.
A bookworm and researcher especially related to law and citizenship education. I spend time every day in front of the internet and the campus library.
