You know what are the causes and types of depression?

Written by: Dr. Enrique Guerra Gómez
Published:
Edited by: Top Doctors®

Depression is a mood decline that can occur in different ways. According to experts in psychiatry , there are different types of depression and different ways to treat.

 

What is depression?

photo depression Depression is a mood decline, which does not always manifest through the sadness, but also reflected in the lack of energy, loss of desire for entertainment and communication, easy crying, somatic complaints, etc. Sometimes depression occurs with anxiety, irritability easy, death wishes and / or ideas that criticize them strangers, increased or decreased appetite and sleep disorders (the person gets sleep but wake up early) suicide .

For these symptoms constitute depressive symptoms should appear continuously for at least 15 days.

 

Causes of Depression

As in almost all mental disorders, depression is by biological factors that may be genetic, alterations of cerebral limbic system due to illness or injury, and the effect of medications or drug consumption; psychological factors: there are ways to be easier to have depressed by, for example, obsessive personality; and social factors, whether familial, interpersonal work, etc.

Depending on the type of depression is more prevalent now discuss one reason or another.

 

Types of depression

The major depressive episode. It is the most common and contains many of the symptoms described above. Its cause is biopsychosocial, except:

  • Major depression with melancholia (formerly called endogenous depression). It is predominantly organic and has characteristic symptoms, such as somatic location of sorrow "I have a penalty in the stomach," not to improve slightly when something good happens, ideas of guilt, ruin and hypochondria that can become delusions, morning worsening, etc.
  • Depressive symptoms in Bipolar Disorder (ie, alternating with periods of euphoria).

In these 2 patients, the cause is biological (endogenous) of unknown cause (it is known that descend monoamines: serotonin, norepinephrine and / or dopamine).

  • Depression caused by medical conditions, such as hypothyroidism and brain tumors.
  • Depression produced by effect of drugs, for example, antitumor and anti-HIV.
  • Depression caused by abuse of toxic (or withdrawal thereof). For example, alcohol, amphetamine products, cocaine, etc.

In these cases the cause is the effect on the limbic system disease or substances.

  • Dysthymia is boxes with milder symptoms and less durable than those described, alternating with periods of normality but extend at least 2 years. Usually in relation to traits or personality disorders.

Within these types there are levels of severity, likelihood of recurrence, chronicity, etc.

*Translated with Google translator. We apologize for any imperfection

By Dr. Enrique Guerra Gómez
Psychiatry

*Translated with Google translator. We apologize for any imperfection

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