Usually, the depressive episode length ranges from six months to eight months, depending on the person. While some people may have depression that fades, others may struggle with depression on and off their whole life. Also, different types of depression go away with time and are more short-lived by nature.
In general, nearly everyone with depression has ongoing feelings of sadness, and may feel helpless, hopeless, and irritable. Without treatment, symptoms can last for many years. This condition is most often treated with medicine, therapy, or a combination of both.
For some people, depression might only be episodic and overcome within a matter of weeks or months. However, for others diagnosed with major depression , the condition could persist for years, affecting their lifestyle and quality of life.
Without proper treatment, including antidepressants and/or psychotherapy, untreated clinical depression can last for weeks, months, or years. Appropriate treatment, however, can help most people with depression.
According to the Mayo Clinic, patients with untreated long-term depression are more prone to sleep disruptions, heart disease, weight gain or loss, weakened immune systems, and physical pain. Depression can result in an unhealthy cycle.
Each person's recovery is different. Some recover in a few weeks or months. But for others, depression is a long-term illness. In about 20% to 30% of people who have an episode of depression, the symptoms don't entirely go away.
If you've been treated for depression but your symptoms haven't improved, you may have treatment-resistant depression. Taking an antidepressant or going to psychological counseling (psychotherapy) eases depression symptoms for most people. But with treatment-resistant depression, standard treatments aren't enough.
Depression causes the hippocampus to raise its cortisol levels, impeding the development of neurons in your brain. The shrinkage of brain circuits is closely connected to the reduction of the affected part's function. While other cerebral areas shrink due to high levels of cortisol, the amygdala enlarges.
Sometimes you might hear depression being called 'major depressive disorder'. There are some other types of depression too: Persistent depressive disorder (PDD). PDD is continuous depression that lasts for two years or more. You may also hear it called dysthymia or chronic depression.
At What Age Is Depression Most Common? According to CDC data from 2019, 21% of adults experiencing any depressive symptoms in the most recent two weeks were between 18 and 29 years old. This incidence is the largest among all adult age groups.
Although psychotic depression itself cannot evolve into schizophrenia, when severe depression is untreated or undertreated, it's possible for the resulting distress and side effects to trigger an underlying psychotic disorder, such as schizoaffective disorder.
In some severe depression cases, this biological age was 10–15 years older than the chronological age.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) depression affects nearly 10% of the general population in America. Experts have asserted that major depressive disorder is potentially a long-term illness, but not necessarily a permanent disorder.
Research suggests that depression doesn't spring from simply having too much or too little of certain brain chemicals. Rather, there are many possible causes of depression, including faulty mood regulation by the brain, genetic vulnerability, and stressful life events.
Depressed individuals typically show poor memory for positive events, potentiated memory for negative events, and impaired recollection.
A PET scan can compare brain activity during periods of depression (left) with normal brain activity (right). An increase of blue and green colors, along with decreased white and yellow areas, shows decreased brain activity due to depression.
Depression on its own does not cause death but the behaviors associated with depressed individuals increases the risk of chronic and deadly diseases. These diseases may include coronary heart disease, obesity, diabetes, lung disease, osteoporosis, and cancer.
A major depressive disorder, TRD describes depression that has failed to respond to at least two different antidepressant treatments. Anyone who has experienced depression knows how inescapable and hopeless it can feel.
Some people who have severe depression may also experience hallucinations and delusional thinking, the symptoms of psychosis. Depression with psychosis is known as psychotic depression.
Depression is a common mental disorder. Globally, it is estimated that 5% of adults suffer from the disorder. It is characterized by persistent sadness and a lack of interest or pleasure in previously rewarding or enjoyable activities. It can also disturb sleep and appetite.
If you experience depression, you might also experience some psychotic symptoms. These may include delusions, such as paranoia. Or they may be hallucinations, such as hearing voices.