Major Depressive Disorder Research Paper

Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder that has a pervasive and persistent, meaning it is a constantly repeating, low mood. This is goes along with low self-esteem and loss of interest or pleasure in normal activities that were enjoyable before. The word “Depression” is often times used to express this state of mind, but it also may refer to it in different ways as simply a low mood. This disorder is a condition that affects the victim’s family, work environment, school life, eating and sleeping habits, and over all generally health (“Major Depressive Disorder”). Depression makes you have trouble doing day to day activities because you just feel like life is not worth it. Depression isn’t something you can snap out of since it is a disability that in reality does need long-term medication …show more content…
This disorder can have episodes. “A major depressive episode is characterized by the presence of a severely depressed mood that persists for at least two weeks. Episodes may be recurrent and are categorized as mild…, moderate, or severe…” (“Major Depressive Disorder”). This kind of disorder also has some subtypes in it. Melancholic depression is a subtype that generally is characterized by loss of pleasure, a depressed mood worse than guilt, excessive weight loss, and guilt. Atypical depression is another subtype that is identified by mood reactivity and excessive weight gain and significant over sleep. The next subtype is Catatonic depression which is rare and severe. Another one would be postpartum depression which is the disabling depression after women give birth. The last one would be the seasonal affective behavior in which the depression episodes come during autumn or winter over a two year period. This all subtypes are all part of depression in which overall, is a feeling of intense sadness (“Major Depressive