Major depression disorder, also known as clinical depression or unipolar depression, is significantly affecting the world population. The prevalence is so critical that 15 million American adults are getting affected in each year. Major depression can persistently impede the normal thoughts, behaviors, mood as well as physical health.
Common Symptoms
Major depression changes a fully functional individual quite significantly. The common symptoms are persistent feeling of sadness, irritation, lack of sleep, low appetite, loss of energy, slow movement, agitation, withdrawal, guilt feelings, feeling of hopelessness, worthlessness and emptiness, suicidal thoughts and attempts, persistent physical complications without any possible physical root.
Causes
Major depression is a complex form of depression which may occur due to psychological, biological and social factors. Chemical imbalance in the brain plays the leading role in the formation of major depression in an individual. Three neurotransmitters - norepinephrine, serotonin and dopamine are crucially involved in the process. Other cause may involve genetic predisposition. In fact, many studies confirm that an individual is at higher risk for developing major depression if he or she is having a family history for the same.
Treatment
Although major depression can even toll a life, it is certainly treatable. A majority of the population can be effectively treated and can be successfully returned back to normal lives following a treatment. The treatment plan exclusively depends on the severity of the problem and individual preference. Medications, psychotherapy and electroconvulsive therapy are the three primary types of treatments typically used for treating this.
Typically four groups of antidepressants are administered for treating major depression. They are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), bupropin (wellbutrin), mirtazapine (remeron), tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), and non-antidepressant adjunctive agents.
Psychotherapy, especially in combination with medication, is found to be effective in treating major depression. Cognitive behavioral therapy and interpersonal therapy can be used to treat mild to moderate form of major depression. By using cognitive behavioral therapy, the practitioners can be able to modify the negative thinking patterns and dissatisfying behavior in an individual. On the other hand, interpersonal therapy aids in understanding personal relationship and helps in forming a new insight for playing new life roles.
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is particularly used for treating the severe form of the disorder. It is specifically considered in such circumstances where medications or psychotherapy could not be able to show any effective results or offer very slow improvement than actually expected. ECT is beneficial for people who are suffering from psychosis or have attempted suicide several times.
You can read here about major depression treatment, or here about major depression symptoms
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