Depression and Mania One of the most scary emotional experiences a person will ever suffer during their lifetime is to experience a form of depression. Over 1 in 5 Americans can expect to get some form of depression in their lifetime. Over 1 in 20 Americans experience a depressive episode every year.
Depression is one of the most common and most serious mental health problems facing people today.
There are many forms that depression may take. Among these are Major Depressive Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, and Cyclothymia. A person who suffers from major depressive disorder must either have a depressed mood or a loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities consistently for at least a 2 week period. The symptoms are not better accounted for by bereavement, i.e., after the loss of a loved one, the symptoms persist for longer than 2 months or are characterized by marked functional impairment, morbid preoccupation with worthlessness, suicidal ideation, psychotic symptoms, or psychomotor retardation. This disorder has several different subtypes and it is often not recognized by the patient, relatives, friends, or even physicians.