Major Depressive Disorder (Severe Depression)
Description
A disorder causing severe sadness and other physical complaints. The diagnosis is made when five or more symptoms of depression are present for at least 2 weeks. Please see the symptom section for a list of these symptoms. Major depression carries a risk of suicide if not appropriately treated. The cause of major depression is not known but the following conditions increase the risk of the disorder: parents with depression, a difficult childhood, stressful events, poor social supports, serious illnesses, alcohol abuse, drug abuse, and poverty. This disorder can occur at any age and is more common in women.
Symptoms
Trouble sleeping or excessive sleeping, a dramatic change in appetite, often with weight gain or loss, fatigue and lack of energy, feelings of worthlessness, self-hate, inappropriate guilt, extreme difficulty concentrating, agitation, restlessness, irritability, inactivity and withdrawal from usual activities, a loss of interest or pleasure in activities that were once enjoyed (such as sex), feelings of hopelessness and helplessness, thoughts of death or suicide.
Tests
A history and physical exam will be performed. Tests may be done to rule out an organic cause of the depression.
- CBC
- Chem 12
- CT Scan
Treatment
Depression is most effectively treated with medications and counseling. Medications include tricyclic antidepressants, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and some newer antidepressant drugs. These medications do carry a risk of increased suicidal behavior and patients need to be monitored when the medications are started. Psychiatric hospitalizations may be needed for severe symptoms and for those with suicidal thoughts. For patients who fail to respond to medications and psychotherapy electroconvulsive treatment (ECT) may be an option. Any patient who feels life is not worth living needs to seek medical care immediately. Help is available for patients 24 hours a day at the the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255); TTY: 1-800-799-4TTY (4889).
Related Videos
Research
News
by Holly Woodruff October is National Depression Aw...
Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp., a biopharmaceutical co...
A 49-year-old man accused of pushing three teenager...
Mental health problems can be the result of homeles...
Although we may use the word "depression" in conver...
Share Your Experience
Do you have experience with this disease? Do you or someone
you know suffer from Major depressive disorder (Severe depression)?
Please share you experience with other members of the iTriage community.
The symptoms of major depressive disorder include those typical of all depressions...sadness, emptiness, loss of interest and pleasure, irritability, anger, changes in appetite, sleep problems, restlessness, slow movement and thinking, fatigue, worthlessness and guilt, poor concentration, thoughts about death and suicide. These symptoms can be very severe.
Major depressive disorder
http://www.disorderscentral.com/major-depressive-disorder.html