However, sadness may not always be the dominant feeling of a depressed person. Depression can also be experienced as a numb or empty feeling, or perhaps no awareness of feeling at all. A depressed person may experience a noticeable loss in their ability to feel pleasure about anything. Depression, as viewed by psychiatrists, is an illness in which a person experiences a marked change in their mood and in the way they view themselves and the world. Depression as a significant depressive disorder ranges from short in duration and mild to long term and very severe, even life threatening.
Depressive disorders come in different forms, just as do other illnesses such as heart disease.
The three most prevalent forms are major depression, dysthymia, and bipolar disorder. These disabling episodes of depression can occur once, twice, or several times in a lifetime. Sometimes people with dysthymia also experience major depressive episodes. Another type of depressive disorder is manic-depressive illness, also called bipolar depression. Not nearly as prevalent as other forms of depressive disorders, manic depressive illness involves cycles of depression and elation or mania.