What is the meaning of depression and its types?

Depression

 Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. Also called major depressive disorder or clinical depression, it affects how you feel, think and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems. It also can be said that, depression is a common mental health problem that involves a low mood and a loss of interest in activities.

Some of the Main Causes of Depression

• Abuse. Past physical, sexual, or emotional abuse can increase the vulnerability to clinical depression later in life.
• Conflict. Depression in someone who has the biological vulnerability to develop depression may result from personal conflicts or disputes with family members or friends.
• Death or a loss. Sadness or grief from the death or loss of a loved one, though natural, may increase the risk of depression.
• Genetics. A family history of depression may increase the risk. It's thought that depression is a complex trait, meaning that there are probably many different genes that each exert small effects, rather than a single gene that contributes to disease risk. The genetics of depression, like most psychiatric disorders, are not as simple or straightforward as in purely genetic diseases such as Huntington's chorea or cystic fibrosis.
• Major events. Even good events such as starting a new job, graduating, or getting married can lead to depression. So can moving, losing a job or income, getting divorced, or retiring. However, the syndrome of clinical depression is never just a "normal" response to stressful life events.
• Other personal problems. Problems such as social isolation due to other mental illnesses or being cast out of a family or social group can contribute to the risk of developing clinical depression.
• Serious illnesses. Sometimes depression co-exists with a major illness or may be triggered by another medical condition.
• substance abuse. Nearly 30% of people with substance abuse problems also have major or clinical depression. Even if drugs or alcohol temporarily make you feel better, they ultimately will aggravate depression.

  Some of the results of depression

• feeling depressed most of the day
• loss of interest in most regular activities
• significant weight loss or gain
• sleeping too much or not being able to sleep
• slowed thinking or movement
• feelings of worthlessness or guilt
• loss of concentration or indecisiveness
• recurring thoughts of death or suicide

There are many types of depression some of them are:

# Major depression: Major depression is sometimes called major depressive   disorder, clinical depression, unipolar depression or simply 'depression'. It involves low mood and/or loss of interest and pleasure in usual activities, as well as other   symptoms. The symptoms are experienced most days and last for at least two   weeks. Symptoms of depression interfere with all areas of a person's life,   including work and social relationships. 

# Persistent depressive disorder: Persistent depressive disorder, also called dysthymia, is a continuous long-term (chronic) form of depression. You may lose interest in normal daily activities, feel hopeless, lack productivity, and have low self-esteem and an overall feeling of inadequacy. These feelings last for years and may significantly interfere with your relationships, school, work and daily activities.

# Bipolar disorder: Bipolar disorder is a mental illness marked by extreme shifts in mood. Symptoms can include an extremely elevated mood called mania. They can also include episodes of depression. Bipolar disorder is also known as bipolar disease or manic depression.

# Seasonal affective disorder (SAD): Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a   mood disorder subset in which people who have normal mental health throughout   most of the year exhibit depressive symptoms at the same time each year, most     commonly in winter.Common symptoms include sleeping too much, having little     to  no energy, and overeating.The condition in the summer can include   heightened  anxiety.

Depression treatment tips

1. Learn as much as you can about your depression: It’s important to determine whether your depression symptoms are due to an underlying medical condition. If so, that condition will need to be treated first. The severity of your depression is also a factor. The more severe the depression, the more intensive the treatment you’re likely to need.

2. It takes time to find the right treatment: It might take some trial and error to find the treatment and support that works best for you. For example, if you decide to pursue therapy it may take a few attempts to find a therapist that you really click with. Or you may try an antidepressant, only to find that you don’t need it if you take a daily half hour walk. Be open to change and a little experimentation.

3. Don’t rely on medications alone: Although medication can relieve the symptoms of depression, it is not usually suitable for long-term use. Other treatments, including exercise and therapy, can be just as effective as medication, often even more so, but don’t come with unwanted side effects. If you do decide to try medication, remember that medication works best when you make healthy lifestyle changes as well.

4. Get social support:  The more you cultivate your social connections, the more protected you are from depression. If you are feeling stuck, don’t hesitate to talk to trusted family members or friends, or seek out new connections at a depression support group, for example. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness and it won’t mean you’re a burden to others. Often, the simple act of talking to someone face-to-face can be an enormous help.

5. Treatment takes time and commitment: All of these depression treatments take time, and sometimes it might feel overwhelming or frustratingly slow. That is normal. Recovery usually has its ups and downs.