Severe depression, or major depressive disorder, is a disabling mood disorder characterized by feelings of sadness, hopelessness and loss of interest in daily activities. Antidepressant medications and counseling, or psychotherapy, are the most...
The National Institute of Mental Health reports that approximately 6.7 percent of the U.S. population is depressed in any given year. While symptoms of depression, by definition, persist over a period of weeks or more, many of these people never...
Minor depression is a lesser form of depression, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). People with minor depression have two to four depression symptoms, compared to five or more symptoms in major depression, which last for at...
Antidepressants help people with severe depression by altering brain chemicals to change moods. Doctors can prescribe several types of antidepressants. Patients may use one type of medication and switch to another if it does not bring improvement....
Depression comes in many guises. It may be mild or severe. It may be treatable with mild or standard medications or with psychotherapy, or with a combination of these. After your doctor has tried several of these without success, she may move on...
Depression is a disorder in which an individual has major depressive episodes that include symptoms such as loss of interest and pleasure in hobbies or work, sadness, weight changes, and trouble sleeping. Several medications are available for...
An estimated 17 million people Americans suffer from depression, according to the website WrongDiagnosis. Many with this affliction, failing to seek treatment, suffer needlessly. Pharmaceutical treatments can lift the shroud of depression but...
Depression is not a mood disorder that affects only adults. Jay L. Hoecker, a doctor at the Mayo Clinic, states that depression is as common in children as it is in adults. Statistics provided by the National Institute of Mental Health show that...
Depression is thought to occur because of a chemical imbalance in the brain. If you are suffering from depression, antidepressants may help relieve your symptoms. However, certain medications may have unpleasant side effects, all of which should...
Depression is a mood disorder in which patients experience immense sadness, irritability and self-blame. When the symptoms are left unchecked, they can escalate to thoughts and attempts of suicide. For some patients, the symptoms of depression are...
Depression is a psychological disorder characterized by extremely low or sad moods that affect both physical and social activities. It is commonly believed that depression may be caused by an imbalance of chemicals, such as serotonin,...
According to the National Institutes of Health, more than 20 million people in the U.S. have some form of depressive disorder. Everyone experiences a down or depressed mood now and then, but true depression is a serious mental illness and involves...
When someone is suffering from depression or anxiety, an antidepressant is often prescribed. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) are two types of antidepressants most commonly...
Ever since Prozac (generic name fluoxetine) hit the pharmaceutical market in 1987, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, have become a popular type of antidepressant medication. Unfortunately, side effects from SSRIs include a host of...
Depression, a serious mental illness, is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain, according to American Psychological Association. Antidepressant medications have been the mainstay treatment for depression. But, antidepressants often have...
Antidepressants are a psychiatric treatment method for individuals suffering from certain mental illnesses, but mostly from depression. There are many different types of antidepressants, each with its unique effect on the brain and side effects....
Depression is a mental illness that needs treatment. Depression can make you feel physically ill, and affect your work and relationships. Though many people need medical treatment for their symptoms of depression, there are also plenty of things...
Major depression (unipolar depression) and bipolar disorder (manic depression) are two mood disorders that can run in families, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Both disorders have different symptoms and treatment considerations.
Antidepressants may interfere with a woman's menstrual cycle. Some women taking antidepressants may experience side effects and changes in their monthly cycle or menstrual period. Depression is approximately twice as common in women as it is in...
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), depression affects 121 million people worldwide. Even in the most severe cases, depression is highly treatable. The most effective treatment for depression is a combination of medication and...
A psychiatrist is usually the type of medical doctor who prescribes antidepressant medications to treat depression. Private practitioners, community mental health hospitals, Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals and university counseling centers often...
Serotonin and norepinephrine are two neurotransmitters that are involved in mood, and are thought to be connected to depression. The Mayo Clinic notes that it is hypothesized that a deficit in either neurotransmitter can cause depression. Both...
Iron-deficiency anemia and clinical depression share some of the same symptoms. Both conditions may cause fatigue, lethargy and impaired concentration. Your doctor might prescribe antidepressants to treat your depression or iron supplements to...
Chemotherapy treatments for cancer are meant to save lives, however, they sometimes harbor some serious side effects. The medications used in chemotherapy can cause a painful symptom called peripheral neuropathy. Usually starting in the toes and...
Sexual side effects from antidepressants depend on each patient and the dosage taken. The side effects may disappear when the body adjusts to the particular medication. Certain antidepressants may increase the risk of having sexual side effects,...
Serotonin sends signals between nerve cells and narrows the blood vessels. The neurotransmitter regulates functions throughout the body, including the cardiovascular, immune, gastrointestinal and central nervous systems. Serotonin alters brain...
Many of the changes that take place in the lives of the elderly cause sadness and concern. Those with few coping skills may fall into a depression when loved ones die or their health deteriorates. While depression is not a normal part of the aging...
Dopamine belongs to a class of molecules known as neurotransmitters, chemicals that act as messengers within the brain. Several critical brain systems require dopamine, including the movement, emotion and reward systems. Decreased levels of...
Newer antidepressants have fewer side effects than earlier medications, and doctors tend to prescribe them first, although some patients still find the older drugs more effective. Some side effects can occur with any antidepressant, and doctors...
Postpartum depression refers to the clinical depression that can occur in women after childbirth. Learn more about post partum depression, including symptoms and treatments, in this health video.
