DEPRESSION

Because people associate the word depression with normal feelings of sadness caused by grief, loss or even "the blues," it's often hard for them to relate to clinical depression (unipolar disorder).

Grief, loss and "the blues" bring some of the same feelings that clinical depression does. However, the signs and symptoms of depression are more severe and usually last much longer. Depression makes it much harder -- if not impossible -- to function "normally."

A more accurate name for mood disorders like depression and bipolar disorder might be hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal disorders. Mood disorders affect the:

• Hypothalamus -- the "main switch" in our brain that affects sleep, hunger, thirst and sex drive
• Pituitary gland -- the master gland that controls hormonal secretions
• Adrenal glands -- two glands that affect stress and steroid hormones, growth, cell repair, sugar consumption and immune system functioning

Two major types of unipolar disorders are major depression and dysthymia (a milder but chronic form). Click here for more about signs and symptoms.

Bipolar Disorder Demystified offers additional information about clinical depression and how doctors diagnose the different types of unipolar disorders. To order copies, click here.