Call for a Free Confidential Assessment. Know the Signs of a Major Depressive Episode It is very common for a person with depression to be unaware that they are entering a depressive episode. Self-awareness takes practice, so it can be useful to keep a record of moods, feelings, reactions, and other circumstances on a daily or semi-daily basis.
This kind of record, whether it is in a journal or a chart or calendar, can help a patient find patterns and build awareness of signs of an impending depressive episode. Find and recognize triggers. It also helps to determine any factors that trigger or worsen depression symptoms and episodes.
These may be found in the patterns in a journal, or they may be more obvious, like a fight with a spouse or partner. When a patient knows the triggers, it is easier to recognize when an episode is forthcoming. Ask friends and family to speak up.
Because it is hard to be self-aware, it is important to involve close family and friends. These people are often the ones most likely to recognize the beginning of an episode, and they can tell the person that all the signs are there. Communicate with therapists or doctors. Doctors and therapists treating someone with depression are also useful in helping determine when an episode of depression is imminent.
It is important for patients to communicate fully with their therapists and doctors and to trust that these professionals will help them learn to recognize the beginning of a depressive episode.
How to Cope with a Depressive Episode At the onset of a major depressive episode, it can feel hopeless, as if there is nothing that can be done. It is important to take these steps to cope with a depressive episode, because they can limit the symptoms and even reduce the duration of the episode: Schedule a therapy session. Just like a car, sometimes people need tune-ups. When there are signs of depression, it is important to talk to a professional and to schedule additional therapy sessions or to go back to regular sessions after a break.
Keep up with medications. Patients should always be consistent with medications, even as they start to feel better. Reach out for support. During an episode of major depression, reaching out may be the last thing a person wants to do, but it does help.
More time spent with those who are supportive is beneficial. Practice self-care. Extra attention to self-care is so important as a depressive episode begins. This may include attending therapy or support groups , avoiding alcohol, practicing meditation or yoga, actively challenging negative thoughts, or simply doing activities that are relaxing or enjoyable. Practice good health habits.
Self-care should always include good physical health habits, but these are especially important during a depressive episode. An episode is when an individual has depression symptoms for at least two weeks. The length of an episode can vary. While some people have only one, most people with depression have recurrent episodes throughout their lifetimes, which is why treatment is so important. Left untreated, like any illness, the symptoms can get progressively worse and lead to significant impairment, interfere with relationships and job, or lead to self-harm or suicide.
Individuals with major depression may experience a partial or total remission, where their symptoms go away or they experience no symptoms at all. Researchers found that the risk factors for recurrent episodes of depression include:. Depression is a treatable illness, and the earlier treatment is started, the more effective it is, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
Maintenance therapy is also useful in helping to prevent relapse in individuals living with recurrent depression. Treatment may not look the same for everyone. Treatments should take individual characteristics, symptoms, and situations into consideration. Antidepressants can include:.
Sometimes a combination of drugs might be used, as well as anti-anxiety medications, depending on your situation. Many people see a therapist for a variety of reasons, whether or not they have depression. It can be helpful to talk about issues arising in your life with a person who is a trained mental health professional.
Other types of brain stimulation treatments are under study. If you think you may have depression, start by making an appointment to see your doctor or health care provider. This could be your primary care practitioner or a health provider who specializes in diagnosing and treating mental health conditions. Clinical trials are research studies that look at new ways to prevent, detect, or treat diseases and conditions. The goal of clinical trials is to determine if a new test or treatment works and is safe.
Although individuals may benefit from being part of a clinical trial, participants should be aware that the primary purpose of a clinical trial is to gain new scientific knowledge so that others may be better helped in the future.
Researchers at NIMH and around the country conduct many studies with patients and healthy volunteers. We have new and better treatment options today because of what clinical trials uncovered years ago. Talk to your health care provider about clinical trials, their benefits and risks, and whether one is right for you.
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Help for Mental Illnesses If you or someone you know has a mental illness, there are ways to get help. Clinical Trials If you or a friend or family member are thinking about taking part in clinical research, this page contains basic information about clinical trials. Stakeholder Engagement Find out how NIMH engages a range of stakeholder organizations as part of its efforts to ensure the greatest public health impact of the research we support.
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Share Page. Overview Depression major depressive disorder or clinical depression is a common but serious mood disorder. Some forms of depression are slightly different, or they may develop under unique circumstances, such as: Persistent depressive disorder also called dysthymia is a depressed mood that lasts for at least two years. A person diagnosed with persistent depressive disorder may have episodes of major depression along with periods of less severe symptoms, but symptoms must last for two years to be considered persistent depressive disorder.
Women with postpartum depression experience full-blown major depression during pregnancy or after delivery postpartum depression. People who have recently had a baby may experience postpartum depression. Sometimes, there is no obvious cause for the occurence of a depressive episode.
Some health conditions, such as hypothyroidism , can cause symptoms of depression. A major depressive episode MDE is characterized by five or more of the following symptoms being present every day, or almost every day, for a minimum of two weeks: [1]. For the diagnosis to be made, at least one of the symptoms needs to be depressed mood or loss of interest in most activities.
It is also necessary for the symptoms to cause significant distress or impairment in social and job functioning. If the symptoms are attributed to another mental health condition, the diagnosis and treatment may be different to that detailed here for a depressive episode.
To rule out any other health conditions that could be causing symptoms of a depressive state, such as a thyroid disorder, a doctor may order blood tests or scans.
If a person is considered to be at risk of dementia, the doctor will also check for this condition, as some of the symptoms can be similar to depression. If only two to four of the above symptoms are present, instead of major depressive episode, a diagnosis of minor depressive episode may be made. At least one of the symptoms needs to be depressed mood or loss of interest in most activities. Depression is considered to be a treatable condition, with treatment often involving a combination of medication and therapy.
Sometimes complementary remedies and lifestyle changes may also be suggested. Psychotherapy is talk therapy, and there are several different types that may be effective for people experiencing a mild or moderate depressive episode. These include counseling, problem-solving therapy, interpersonal therapy, group therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy CBT — which can help a person develop more helpful ways of thinking and acting. For some people, a combination of psychotherapy and medication may be more effective than psychotherapy alone for depression.
Medication may be prescribed in cases of moderate or severe depression, often in combination with a course of psychotherapy. Several different types of antidepressants are available. The main categories include: [15] [16]. It may take a few weeks for an antidepressant to take effect and alleviate the symptoms of a depressive episode. A doctor will advise on how long the medication should be taken and what to do if a person wishes to stop taking it. While antidepressants are not considered to be addictive, stopping them suddenly may cause discontinuation symptoms, so the process needs to be managed by a medical practitioner.
Some people may experience side-effects while taking antidepressants, including: [15]. While less common, other side-effects may include serotonin syndrome, a potentially life-threatening condition where high levels of serotonin cause mental and physical symptoms like anxiety, rapid heartbeat, high temperature and vomiting, [18] and suicidal thoughts. It may be necessary for a person to try several different medications before finding one that they feel works for them.
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