They are often severe enough to prevent a person from working, playing and fulfilling responsibilities. Major Depression Is a major mental illness of mood or affect. This is depression. There is no pleasure no excitement and no interst in people or a life once cherished. There is flatness, nothingness and psychic pain.
Suicide is a result for too common in untreated depression.
Despite the depressed person feelings to the contrary, depression is a highly treatable illness. Medication, elctroconvulsive therapy, psychotherapy and hospitalization all play a role. Bipolar Affective Disorder Formerly, and still commonly known as manic depression, bipolar disorder is one of extremes of mood, or affect, from the highest peaks to the lowest depths. It encompasses major depression at the low point and uncontrolled mania at the high point, despair and euphoria. Nearly two millon Americans suffer from this often debilitating major mental illness.