Everyone has days where they feel blah, down, or sad. Typically, these feelings disappear after a day or two, particularly if circumstances change for the better. People experiencing the temporary "blues" don't feel a sense of crushing hopelessness or helplessness, and are able, for the most part, to continue to engage in regular activities. For people dealing with depressive disorders, negative feelings linger, intensify, and often become crippling. With normal sadness, people are still able to experience pleasure when positive events happen. With depressive disorders, the hopelessness and failure stay even when good things are happening. Other, more intense sorts of symptoms, such as suicidal thoughts and hallucinations (e.g., hearing voices), are also often present. These symptoms suggest that serious varieties of depression may be present, including the subject of this center: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) or (more informally), Major Depression. Major Depression.
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A drug used to control seizures may be a potent weapon against depression in patients who don't find relief with antidepressants, a small pilot study suggests. More...
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Electroconvulsive therapy may be effective and cost-effective for U.S. patients with treatment-resistant depression, according to research published online May 10 in JAMA Psychiatry. More...
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Depression and anxiety is nearly seven times more common among graduate students than in the general population, a new study finds. More...
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