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Types of Depression.

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Chronic Depression

Chronic depression is defined as low-grade, long-term depression that has existed for two years or more. Often the depressive symptoms will go away for a short time and then return. Some people have had it most of their lives. However, chronic depression is not the temporary sadness that everyone experiences at one time or another. These temporary feelings of sadness, or depression, are usually in response to a loss or sad event and last six to nine months. Chronic depression is a long term condition that affects the daily activities of the sufferer. In the 1990s, chronic depression accounted for 30% to 35% of all cases of depression in the United States.

There are four subtypes of chronic depression. A detailed discussion of these subtypes is beyond the scope of this web site but they are listed here for your information.

    1. chronic major depressive disorder
    2. dysthymic disorder
    3. dysthymic disorder with major depressive disorder ("double depression")
    4. major depressive disorder with poor interepisodic recovery (i.e., in incomplete remission).

Who gets Chronic Depression ?

Anyone can suffer from chronic depression, however, there are groups that have higher risk factors. These groups include people who have family members with a history of depression, bipolar disorder or anxiety. In addition, those that have an alcohol or drug abuse problem are also at higher risk. And statistically, women have a risk factor twice as great as men.

Symptoms of Chronic Depression

The symptoms of chronic depression can take many forms but usually begin gradually. Over time these vague feelings of sadness will grow in intensity. The more common symptom is one of being consistently unhappy. In addition, people with chronic depression tend to be extremely negative people with a gloomy and critical outlook of themselves and others.

For more information, click on the following link to view a more complete list of the general symptoms of depression.

What Causes Chronic Depression ?

The exact cause of chronic depression in individuals is often unknown or not fully understood. However, it is usually in response to a sad or traumatic event. There a number of risk factors that the experts think contribute to chronic depression. Most experts feel that a combination of these risk factors can trigger depression. The primary risk factors are Biological Causes , Genetic Causes, Environmental Causes, Psychological Causes, Medical Illness Causes, and Other Causes.

It should be noted that not all researchers agreed with the concept of the causation by the risk factors mentioned above. Their theory is that the majority of depression in the world today is caused by societal changes and value changes. They state that society, and individuals within society, do not meet the emotional needs of the individual. That is, individuals are not receiving emotional support in times of need. They state that modern society teaches individuals from an early age to be self-focused and to be concerned with how they look and what they have. They also feel that the traditional ideas / values of who you are and what you do have been lost.

Treatment of Chronic Depression

In the past, chronic depression was considered resistant to treatment, however, that concept has been discounted. It is considered treatable but the treatment must be both thorough and intensive. Currently, studies suggest that chronic depression is underdiagnosed, misdiagnosed, and treated with sub-optimal methods.

The standard treatment options of psychotherapy, antidepressant medication, and electroconvulsive therapy are used by most mental health professionals. Various sources claim that 80%-90% of those who seek treatment for chronic depression can show improvement over time.

For more information, click the following link to read about the treatment of depression.

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