12 things you should know about depression

1. How many people have depression?
Very many people -- about five to 10 per cent of the population -- have a major depression at any given point in time, and it is estimated that 15 per cent of people will develop a major depression some time in their lives.

2. When does feeling blue cross the line into depression?
When you feel so low that you cannot concentrate on anything else, such as work or family obligations, or if you are feeling suicidal, then the line has been crossed. You are also likely to be depressed if low mood lasts for over two weeks or if your sleep, appetite, energy, and thoughts are affected for that long, as well as your mood.

3. Is sadness a characteristic of depression?
Sometimes. However, sadness is different from depression. Sadness does not imply feeling disinterested, whereas depression often does. In fact, when someone is sad, he or she is often
quite interested in what led to the sadness. The same goes for grief. As painful as it is, grief -- as well as its less intense counterpart, bereavement -- does not imply depression. Some grieving or bereaved people may develop depression, but this is generally not the case. To understand depression it is just as important to know what it is not, as what it is.

4. What makes one person's depression different from another's?
Depressions differ in terms of their intensity, duration, and the breadth of symptoms involved. There are also different types of depression -- some are more biological in origin, while others are more related to stressful life events.

5. What are the different types of depression?
You may become depressed in reaction to a stressful event in your life, such as losing your job or a relationship. This type of depression is described as an adjustment disorder with depressed mood (or reactive depression). Its symptoms tend to be comparatively few or mild, but nevertheless, they can sometimes include intensely depressed mood or suicidal behaviour, which means this depression should not be ignored. Another type of depression is major depressive disorder (previously called major affective disorder or unipolar depression), which is more biological in origin. Major depressive disorder is characterized by major depressive episodes. The symptoms of this disorder tend to be greater and more severe than those of adjustment disorder (see below).

6. Are there any other types?
There are other types of depressions with major depressive episodes, and these include depression in bipolar disorder (previously called manic-depressive disease) and postnatal depression. Major depressive disorder and other depressions with major depressive episodes are the types of depression that are most responsive to antidepressant medication.

7. Which kind of depression is the most common?
Adjustment disorder with depressed mood is the most common type of depression. This condition is triggered by stress, usually due to a sudden event, such as the loss of a job or breakup of a relationship. The death of a loved one can also trigger adjustment disorder with depressed mood. However, this is far from inevitable -- many people experience normal states of grief and bereavement without becoming depressed.

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Excerpted from Depression: Your Questions Answered by Melvyn Lurie, MD. Copyright 2007 by Melvyn Lurie, MD. Excerpted by permission of Dorling Kindersley Plc P/B. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.