Major Depression

Definition
Major depression is a medical illness that is characterized by feeling of sadness, disappointment, and despair. It is a “whole body illness” that involves emotional, physical, intellectual, social, and spiritual problems. Also called major depressive disorder and clinical depression, it affects how a person feels, thinks and behaves. They may have trouble doing normal day-to-day activities, and depression may make them feel as if life isn't worth living.

Signs and Symptoms
Depression can change or distort the way someone sees their self, their life, and those around them. People who have depression usually see everything with a more negative attitude, unable to imagine that any problem or situation can …show more content…

Medications:
Types of antidepressants include: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), Norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitors (NDRIs), Atypical antidepressants, Tricyclic antidepressants, and Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). Many doctors start depression treatment by prescribing an SSRI. These medications are safer and generally cause fewer bothersome side effects than other types of antidepressants. SSRIs include fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil), sertraline (Zoloft), citalopram (Celexa) and escitalopram (Lexapro). Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) include duloxetine (Cymbalta), venlafaxine (Effexor) and desvenlafaxine (Pristiq). Norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitors (NDRIs) include Bupropion (Wellbutrin). Atypical antidepressants are called atypical because they don't fit neatly into another antidepressant category. They include trazodone (Desyrel) and mirtazapine (Remeron). Both of these antidepressants are sedating and are usually taken in the evening. In some cases, one of these medications is added to other antidepressants to help with sleep. Tricyclic antidepressants have been used for years and are generally as effective as newer medications. But because they tend to have more numerous and more severe side effects, a tricyclic antidepressant generally isn't prescribed unless you've tried an SSRI first without an