Webmd what is depression

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Contribute to Mental Health Research. Everyone feels sad or low sometimes, but these feelings usually pass with a little time. Depression also called major depressive disorder or clinical depression is different.

It can cause severe symptoms that affect how you feel, think, and handle daily activities, such as sleeping, eating, or working. It is an illness that can affect anyone—regardless of age, race, income, culture, or education. Research suggests that genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological factors play a role in depression. Depression may occur with other mental disorders and other illnesses, such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and chronic pain.

Depression can make these conditions worse, and vice versa. Sometimes medications taken for these illnesses cause side effects that contribute to depression symptoms.

Individuals diagnosed with bipolar disorder formerly called manic depression or manic-depressive illness also experience depression. If you or someone you know is in immediate distress or is thinking about hurting themselves, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline toll-free at TALK To be diagnosed with depression, an individual must have five depression symptoms every day, nearly all day, for at least 2 weeks.

One of the symptoms must be a depressed mood or a loss of interest or pleasure in almost all activities. Children and adolescents may be irritable rather than sad.

If you think you may have depression, talk to your health care provider. Primary care providers routinely diagnose and treat depression and refer individuals to mental health professionals, such as psychologists or psychiatrists.

During the visit, your provider may ask when your symptoms began, how long they last, how often they occur, and if they keep you from going out or doing your usual activities. It may help to make some notes about your symptoms before your visit. Certain medications and some medical conditions, such as viruses or a thyroid disorder, can cause the same depression symptoms.

Your provider can rule out these possibilities by doing a physical exam, interview, and lab tests. For additional resources, visit the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality website. Children with depression may be anxious, cranky, pretend to be sick, refuse to go to school, cling to a parent, or worry that a parent may die. They also may have other disorders, such as anxiety and eating disorders, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or substance use disorder.

Older children and teens are more likely to experience excessive sleepiness called hypersomnia and increased appetite called hyperphagia. Show references Anxiety disorders. Arlington, Va. Accessed April 25, Depressive disorders. Van Ameringen M. Comorbid anxiety and depression in adults: Epidemiology, clinical manifestations, and diagnosis.

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