Affecting more than 20 million adults in the United States, depression has reached epidemic proportions. While medication is often the first avenue of therapy used for those who are depressed, new evidence shows that integrative, holistic methods of treatment may provide effective ways to reduce the symptoms of depression.
Occasionally, everyone feels sad or “blue,” but these feelings usually pass within a couple of days. However, when a person has a depressive disorder, the symptoms can last for weeks, months, or even years. These symptoms interfere with daily life and normal function and cause pain for both the person with the disorder and those who are involved with him or her. Depression affects people worldwide and occurs in all age groups, social classes, and cultures.
Different Forms of Depressive Disorders
There are several forms of depressive disorder, with major depressive disorder and dysthymic disorder being the most common (National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH], 2017):
- Major depressive disorder, also known as major depression or unipolar depression, is characterized by a combination of symptoms that interfere with an individual’s ability to work, sleep, study, eat, and enjoy activities that were once pleasurable. A major depressive episode may only occur once in an individual’s lifetime, or it can recur throughout the individual’s life.
- Dysthymic disorder is characterized by long-term (2 years or more) depression but with less severe symptoms than major depressive disorder. Dysthymic disorder may not disable a person but can prevent the individual from functioning normally or feeling well. Individuals may also experience one or more episodes of major depression during their life.
Some forms of depressive disorder may have slightly different characteristics than those described above, or they may develop under different circumstances. There are differing professional opinions about how to characterize and define these forms of depression. They include the following (NIMH, 2017):
- Psychotic depression occurs when a severe depressive disorder is accompanied by some form of psychosis (e.g., a break with reality, hallucinations, and delusions).
- Postpartum depression is diagnosed if a new mother develops a major depressive episode within 1 month after delivery. Approximately 10% to 15% of women experience postpartum depression after giving birth.
- Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is characterized by the onset of a depressive episode during the winter months, when there is less exposure to sunlight. This type of depression usually subsides during spring and summer. SAD may be effectively treated with light therapy, but approximately half of those with SAD do not respond to light therapy alone and need antidepressant medication and psychotherapy to reduce symptoms.