We all have gone through some ups and downs in life. We have had good times, not so good times and some very bad times. There are days when we feel sad, hopeless and empty but these feeling don’t last for long. We bounce back fast as we do have a good support system and or coping skills to assist.

Many individuals experience feelings of sadness, emptiness and or hopelessness most of the day, nearly every day. They have trouble sleeping, have lack of interest in pleasurable activities, socializing and have difficulty getting through routine day to day activities.

Depression or clinical depression is a mood disorder that causes distressing symptoms which can influence how a person feels, thinks and handle day to day activities. These symptoms can affect their quality of life including sleep, eating habits and work. According to National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to be diagnosed with depression these symptoms must be present most of the day, nearly every day for at least 2 weeks.

To learn further about types of depression, signs & symptoms, causes and more please use this link https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/depression/index.shtml

What are the different types of depression? https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/depression/index.shtml

Two of the most common forms of depression are:

· Major depression—having symptoms of depression most of the day, nearly every day for at least 2 weeks that interfere with your ability to work, sleep, study, eat, and enjoy life. An episode can occur only once in a person’s lifetime, but more often, a person has several episodes.

· Persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia)—having symptoms of depression that last for at least 2 years. A person diagnosed with this form of depression may have episodes of major depression along with periods of less severe symptoms.

Some forms of depression are slightly different, or they may develop under unique circumstances, such as:

· Perinatal Depression: Women with perinatal depression experience full-blown major depression during pregnancy or after delivery (postpartum depression).

· Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): SAD is a type of depression that comes and goes with the seasons, typically starting in the late fall and early winter and going away during the spring and summer.

· Psychotic Depression: This type of depression occurs when a person has severe depression plus some form of psychosis, such as having disturbing false fixed beliefs (delusions) or hearing or seeing upsetting things that others cannot hear or see (hallucinations).

Other examples of depressive disorders include disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (diagnosed in children and adolescents) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Depression can also be one phase of bipolar disorder (formerly called manic-depression). But a person with bipolar disorder also experiences extreme high—euphoric or irritable —moods called “mania” or a less severe form called “hypomania.”

You can learn more about these disorders on the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)’s website (www.nimh.nih.gov).

Does depression look the same in everyone?

No. Depression affects different people in different ways. For example:

Women have depression more often than men. Biological, lifecycle, and hormonal factors that are unique to women may be linked to their higher depression rate. Women with depression typically have symptoms of sadness, worthlessness, and guilt.

Men with depression are more likely to be very tired, irritable, and sometimes angry. They may lose interest in work or activities they once enjoyed, have sleep problems, and behave recklessly, including the misuse of drugs or alcohol. Many men do not recognize their depression and fail to seek help.

Older adults with depression may have less obvious symptoms, or they may be less likely to admit to feelings of sadness or grief. They are also more likely to have medical conditions, such as heart disease, which may cause or contribute to depression.

Younger children with depression may pretend to be sick, refuse to go to school, cling to a parent, or worry that a parent may die.

Older children and teens with depression may get into trouble at school, sulk, and be irritable. Teens with depression may have symptoms of other disorders, such as anxiety, eating disorders, or substance abuse.

CDC Facts About Depression – From https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db172.htm

In 2009–2012, 7.6% of Americans aged 12 and over had depression (moderate or severe depressive symptoms in the past 2 weeks).

Figure 1. Percentage of persons aged 12 and over with depression, by age and sex: United States, 2009–2012

1Males have significantly lower rates than females overall and in every age group.
2Significantly different from 40–59.
3Significantly different from 18–39.
4Significantly different from 60 and over.
NOTES: Depression is defined as having moderate to severe depressive symptoms. Access data table for Figure 1pdf icon.
SOURCE: CDC/NCHS, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2009–2012.

• Females had higher rates of depression than males in every age group (Figure 1).
• The rate of depression increased by age, from 5.7% among youth aged 12–17 to 9.8% among adults aged 40–59, but adults aged 60 and over had a significantly lower rate of depression (5.4%) than those aged 18–39 and 40–59.
• The highest rate of depression, 12.3%, was found in women aged 40–59.
• The lowest rates of depression were for males aged 12–17 (4.0%) and 60 and over (3.4%).

Approximately 3% of all Americans aged 12 and over had severe depressive symptoms, while almost 78% had no depressive symptoms.

• Non-Hispanic black persons had a higher rate of severe depressive symptoms (4.1%) than non-Hispanic white persons (2.6%) (Figure 2).
• Non-Hispanic black persons and Hispanic persons had higher rates of mild and moderate depressive symptoms than non-Hispanic white persons. Non-Hispanic white persons were more likely to have no depressive symptoms (78.5%) than either non-Hispanic black persons (73.2%) or Hispanic persons (73.9%).