Clinical Depression

One of the leading causes of disability in the world, Clinical Depression is a major and severe form of depression which interferes with the normal activities of a person and also leads to dangerous and fatal consequences when ignored.

Clinical Depression can set in at any period in our lives, regardless of age or sex, but usually its roots of incidence can be traced to the 20s in any individual’s life.

Categorised into different types according to their occurrence, Clinical Depression is diagnosed according to their specific types. The main types of Clinical Depression include Major Depression or Unipolar Disorder, Manic Depression or Bipolar Disorder, and Dysthymia otherwise known as prolonged sadness.

Clinical Depression can be diagnosed by a number of symptoms exhibited by a depressed person. Some grave symptoms include lack of self-esteem, contemplation or recurring thoughts of suicide, loss of energy, lack of interest, withdrawal, Psychomotor agitation, reduced appetite, heightened sensitivity to noise, sleep problems, and even learning problems in case of children, besides many more.

The incidence of Clinical Depression can be attributed to many factors. An imbalance in the chemical transmitters in the brain was thought to be the primary causal factor of Clinical Depression, otherwise known as Physiological causes of Clinical Depression. Other factors include heredity, Seasonal Affective Disorder, which occurs in winter due to reduced sunlight, psychological factors, such as lower self-esteem, early traumatic experiences such as death and others, life experiences such as economic insecurity, job loss, and others, postnatal depression which sets in soon after delivery, and influence of drugs and alcohol, besides other factors.

Although Clinical Depression is a highly dangerous disability, which ruins lives, record reveals that its recovery rates are positive and high if proper treatment is administered. Treatment methods vary according to the incidence and degree of Clinical Depression in an individual. However, the main treatment techniques include medication, antidepressant drugs, vitamins to supplement the chemical imbalance, psychotherapy, electro-convulsive therapy, light therapy, exercise, meditation, and others.