Depression in Women

Depression & Women

By:
iVillage Health & Well-Being Staff Writer

We all feel grief after a loss or get the blues now and then. But depression -- sometimes called clinical or major depression -- is different. Depression affects your moods, thoughts, body and behavior -- often for a long period of time. This condition can affect how you eat and sleep and how you feel about yourself and those around you.

Depression is roughly twice as common among women as men. Symptoms include a sad mood or a loss of interest or pleasure in your usual activities. If you are depressed, you may feel like you are "living under a cloud." You may want to withdraw from other people. You may find concentrating difficult. Everyday tasks may leave you tired. And any extra demand --such as a flat tire or a sick child -- may feel overwhelming.

Sometimes, episodes of depression are triggered by a stressful event, like a financial problem, a difficult relationship, losing a job, or the death of a loved one. But depressive episodes can occur for no apparent reason. Depression may develop slowly, over days, or weeks. Or, it can come on suddenly.

Some types of depression run in families. But you may also experience depression even if you have no family history of depression. Your own psychological makeup plays a role in whether you are likely to suffer from depression. People who have low self-esteem, who are pessimistic, or who are easily overwhelmed by stress are more likely to become depressed. Becoming depressed doesn’t mean that you’re weak; it simply means you have an illness, and a rather common one at that. Some 18 million people in the U.S. suffer from depression, making it the most common form of mental illness.

Severity of Depression
Some people have one episode of depression in a lifetime. For others, depression is a long-lasting, chronic illness. Still others have episodes of depression that occur once in awhile. Depression can be mild, moderate, or severe. The severity of your depression depends on how many symptoms you have and how much the illness gets in the way of your normal functioning at work or in social settings.

About two-thirds of the people with depression have mild or moderate cases. Other people have such severe symptoms that they can’t function as usual. These people are so affected that even getting out of bed in the morning is difficult. Another form of depression, called dysthymia, involves a chronically depressed mood that may be less severe, but longer lasting than major depression.

Besides major (unipolar) depression and dysthymia, there are a couple of other forms of depression. Bipolar disorder, which used to be called manic-depressive illness, involves cycles of highs (mania) and lows (depression). The mood switches are usually gradual, but they can be dramatic and fast. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a seasonal form of depression that occurs regularly in the winter. SAD seems to be connected to the reduced number of hours daylight that occur in winter.

The good news is that depression in all its various forms is treatable, if you seek help. Up to 80 percent of people with depression feel better with appropriate treatment.