Depression

Depression is a condition in which a person experiences deep, unshakable sadness and diminished interest in nearly all activities. People also use the term depression to describe the temporary sadness, loneliness, or blues that everyone feels from time to time. In contrast to normal sadness, severe depression, also called major depression, can dramatically impair a person’s ability to function in social situations and at work. People with major depression often have feelings of despair, hopelessness, and worthlessness, and sometimes thoughts of self-harm.

Depression can take several other forms. In bipolar disorder, sometimes called manic-depressive illness, a person’s mood swings back and forth between depression and mania.  People with seasonal affective disorder seasonal affective disorder typically suffer from depression only during autumn and winter, when there are fewer hours of daylight. In dysthymia (pronounced dis-THI-mee-uh), people feel depressed, have low self-esteem, and concentrate poorly most of the time—often for a period of years—but their symptoms are milder than in major depression. Some people with dysthymia experience occasional episodes of major depression. Mental health professionals use the term clinical depression to refer to any of the above forms of depression.

Surveys indicate that people commonly view depression as a sign of personal weakness, but psychiatrists and psychologists view it as a real illness. In the United States, the National Institute of Mental Health has estimated that depression costs society many billions of dollars each year, mostly in lost work time.  “Depression," Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2008  http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

Susan Boyes, ATR-BC, LPC, is a Board Certified, Nationally Registered Art Therapist and a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Michigan. Visit my Blog  Susan helps people of all ages to navigate difficult changes.  Susan also provides Art Therapy for people that have experienced Traumatic Brain Injury.

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