Recognizing Depression: Symptoms, Causes, and Risks

Depression is a mood disorder with a group of symptoms including constant sadness or lack of interest in life.

Depression and Sadness: When to See the Doctor
Is your sadness just a low mood that will pass in time, or is it depression?

Questions and Answers About Depression
10 answers to common questions about depression.

Depression: The Latest Research
The latest research on major depression aims to help you feel better faster and with fewer side effects.
Symptoms

What Are the Symptoms of Depression?
There are a lot of signs of depression, but you may not have them all. How intense they are, and how long they last, varies

Severe Depression Warning Signs
Severe depression has intense symptoms that may include significant appetite and weight loss, sleep problems, and more.

Spotting Depression Disguises
Depression can be sneaky, disguised in symptoms that can be hard to identify.

Depression: Recognizing the Physical Signs
We know the emotional symptoms of depression. But many with depression live with chronic pain or other physical symptoms, too.
Causes & Risks

What Causes Depression?
Depression is a complex disease. No one knows exactly what causes it, but it can happen for various reasons.

Depression and Anxiety
Genetics may play a role in how likely you are to get depression or anxiety. But they’re not the whole story.

Drugs That Cause Depression
If you think a drug you’re taking might be causing your depression, you may be right. Some meds do cause sadness and despair.

Chronic Illnesses and Depression
Depression is one of the most common complications of chronic illness.

Diagnosis

Depression Diagnosis
Depression is often diagnosed through a combination of lab tests and simply talking to a patient.

Who Treats Depression?
Once you decide to seek medical help for depression symptoms, start with your primary care doctor.

Finding a Doctor or Therapist
You care team might include a psychologist, social worker or therapist, or a psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner.

Conditions That May Look Like Depression
Many mental health and medical conditions have symptoms similar to depression — like fatigue and sleep problems.

Types of Depression
There are many different types of depression. Events in your life cause some, and chemical changes in your brain cause others.

Depression With Bipolar Disorder
The clinical depression symptoms seen with bipolar disorder are the same as those seen in major depressive disorder.

Seasonal Depression (Seasonal Affective Disorder)
Seasonal depression is a mood disorder that happens every year at the same time.

Summer Depression
For some people, summer depression has a biological cause. Here’s what you need to know about it.
Major Depressive Disorder

Major Depression (Clinical Depression)
A constant sense of hopelessness and despair is a sign you may have major depression, also known as clinical depression.

Major Depression or Dysthymia?
Major depressive disorder and dysthymia overlap in some ways. But there are key differences.

What to Know About Psychomotor Retardation
Psychomotor retardation is one of the main features of major depressive disorder (MDD) or, more simply, depression.

Depression and Disability
Depression can be severe enough that you’re unable to work anymore, or you’re unable to work at the pace you once were.

Treatment
Depression Treatment: Your Options
Your treatment plan for depression will depend on what type you have and how severe it is.

Treatment Tips
Depression can make you feel helpless. Taking charge of your treatment is one way to feel in control again. Here are some tips.

Talk Therapy
Psychotherapy is another tool in your toolkit to manage depression. And it works for lots of people.

Psychodynamic Therapy
Psychodynamic therapy helps patients explore the full range of their emotions, including feelings they may not be aware of.

Antidepressants

Drug Treatment for Depression
Prescription meds that lift your mood are called antidepressants. It may take a while until you find one that’s a good fit.

How Antidepressants Work
Many researchers believe that the benefits of antidepressants stem from how they affect certain brain circuits and chemicals.

Fears and Facts About Antidepressants
Many people who could benefit from an antidepressant never try one, often because of fears about them, experts say.

Questions About Antidepressants
Here are answers to common questions about antidepressants.

Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD)

What Is Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD)?
You may feel like your depression treatment isn’t working at all. If so, you could have treatment-resistant depression (TRD).

Questions to Ask Your Doctor
Here are 10 questions to ask your doctor, with some answers you could expect to hear.

Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is an effective treatment for clinical depression. On its own, it may not be enough to treat severe depression.

High-Tech Treatments
Researchers are working on new treatments for depression. These can offer hope to people who haven’t been able to get relief.

Living With

Things You Can Do Every Day to Help With Depression
Depression can make you feel powerless. But some simple lifestyle changes can help you get back on track.

Remedies for Depression
There are several strategies and treatments that can help you manage your depression symptoms.

Focus on Your Inner Self to Boost Your Mood
Even if you’re already getting depression treatment with medicine and therapy, tending to your inner self can help you.

What to Know About Depression and Work
Without treatment, your depression can affect your work performance. You may not be engaged or may miss work.

Recovery & Relapse

Maintenance Medications for Depression
Depression can sometimes be like other chronic illnesses that need ongoing treatment. This is called maintenance treatment.

Adjusting Your Life
Changing your lifestyle can have a big effect on your depression. However, it’s not always easy to change our ways.

Daily Activity Planner
Does depression keep you from feeling in control of your days? You may find that having a routine helps with your symptoms.

Depression Relapse: What to Do First
For many people, depression can become a chronic or lifelong illness, with several relapses or recurrences.
Complications

Depression Complications
The more you know about depression complications, the more you’ll understand why it’s important to not let it go untreated.

Conditions Related to Depression
As a condition, depression doesn’t always fly solo. In fact, depression is actually a risk factor for many health problems.

How Depression Affects Your Body
Depression doesn’t just cause physical symptoms; it can also increase your risk for — or may worsen — physical illnesses.

Physical Effects of Depression on the Brain
It’s important to get help for depression. That’s because repeat episodes seem to damage your brain more and more over time.

Caregiving & Support
When a Loved One Has Depression
The support and involvement of family and friends can be crucial in helping someone who is depressed.

Helping a Depressed Loved One
Helping a loved one deal with depression can be the key to their recovery. It isn’t always going to be easy.

Caregiver Stress
Caring for someone you love with depression can lead to a lot of extra stress in your life.

Depression Support
Living with a chronic illness like depression can feel overwhelming. That’s why it’s important to seek depression support.