Depression
bpdworld.org

Depression is common, about 15% of people will have a bout of major depression at some point in their lives and it is the fourth most common cause of disability worldwide. The figures are very difficult to estimate as many people live with depression without seeking help or being formally diagnosed.

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This site is funded and developed by the pharmaceutical company
GlaxoSmithKline. It is an informative and well designed web site about depression, with a slant towards the use of anti-depressants and medication as a treatment for depression.

Causes of Depression
allaboutdepression.com

Unfortunately, it is not fully known what exactly causes clinical depression. There are numerous theories about causes such as biological and genetic factors, environmental influences, and childhood or developmental events. However, it is generally believed that clinical depression is most often caused by the influence of more than just one or two factors. For instance, a person whose mother had recurrent major depression may have inherited a vulnerability to developing clinical depression (genetic influence).

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More Depression Resources

How Blue Are You?
womenspsychotherapy.com

Psycom.net
This site has information on all types of depressive disorders and on the most effective treatments for individuals suffering from Major Depression, Manic-Depression (Bipolar Disorder), Cyclothymia, Dysthymia and other mood disorders. This site is maintained by Dr. Ivan Goldberg, with no financial support from any public, nonprofit, or pharmaceutical source.

Menopause, Perimenopause and
Depression
Psychoneuroendocrinology.com
Psychoneuroendocrinology is the clinical study of hormone fluctuations and their relationship to
psychiatric illness.

Depression Screening Test
psychcentral.com

A person who suffers from a major depressive disorder (sometimes also referred to as clinical depression or major depression) must either have a depressed mood or a loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities consistently for at least a 2 week period. This mood must represent a change from the person's normal mood. Social, occupational, educational or other important functioning must also be negatively impaired by the change in mood. For instance, a person who has missed work or school because of their depression, or has stopped attending classes altogether or attending usual social engagements.

Use this brief, time-saving Dr. Goldberg quizz to help you determine if you may need to see a mental health professional for diagnosis and treatment of depression, or for tracking your depression on a regular basis.

Note: This scale is not designed to make a diagnosis of depression or take the place of a professional diagnosis. If you suspect that you are depressed, please consult with a mental health professional as soon as possible.

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Things To Do To Deal with Depression
drbalternatives.com

Give yourself permission to feel depressed. Don’t expect too much from yourself, since this will only lead to feelings of failure – and this in turn perpetuates the depressive pattern. Don’t fight the depression so hard. Giving in to it may alleviate the depressed feelings. (However, if you have suicidal thoughts, you are advised never to give in to these – and to consult a professional immediately.)
Try not to set difficult goals for yourself or to take on more responsibilities than you can realistically handle. Break large tasks into smaller ones. Set priorities and take things one at a time. Learn to comfort yourself when you feel depressed.
Realize that you may have negative thoughts – and that they are a symptom of the depression. One thing you may focus on in therapy is turning negative thoughts into positive ones.
Postpone important life decisions until your depression is brought under control. If you must make major decisions, consult others who can be trusted and can take an objective view of the situation.

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Helping Someone - Who Is Depressed
MedicineNet.com

Depressed people can be very difficult to be around, and yet they need more than the usual understanding and support from their friends and family.

The anger and lack of trust that a depressed person may have for people close to him or her is very disturbing to someone who is trying to help. At such times, the sincerity of a friend is questioned when the depressed person doesn't feel worthy of someone's friendship. Withdrawal from others, even when very lonely, can make it nearly impossible to encourage a depressed person to enter into activities that may help pull him or her out of the depression.

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Types of Depression
healthyplace.com

Depression strikes in several forms. When a psychiatrist makes a diagnosis of a patient's depressive illness, he or she may use a number of terms--such as bipolar, clinical, endogenous, major, melancholic, seasonal affective or unipolar--to describe it. These labels confuse many people who don't understand that they can overlap. People with depressive illness may also receive more than one diagnosis since the illness is often linked with other problems, such as alcoholism or other substance abuses, eating disorders, or anxiety disorders

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