![]() ![]() Other abnormalities in brain chemicals and hormones also occur with depression, but none of the tests examining these factors are stable, reliable, or specific enough at present to develop a foolproof way of diagnosing Major Depression.Įven though lab tests aren't used to diagnose depression, don't be surprised if your doctor still sends you to the lab. Even depressed people who do not have symptoms severe enough to require hospitalization often show EEG abnormalities. ![]() For example, sleep electroencephalograph (measurements of electrical activity in the brain during sleep) abnormalities have been found in 90% of people who are hospitalized for MDD. However, some laboratory tests can appear abnormal during an active depressive episode. ![]() Major depression frequently co-occurs with other mental illnesses such as: substance-related disorders, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and borderline personality disorder.Īt the present time, there is no diagnostic laboratory test (e.g., no blood test or brain scan) that can confirm whether you have Major Depression. Individuals with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), who have experienced a traumatic event such as a military battle, rape, severe automobile accident or natural disaster, are more likely to suffer from depression than people who have not experienced such trauma.Ī wide range of medical conditions and medications (see below) can also cause or worsen MDD. For example, thinking deeply about stressful past experiences such as emotional, physical, or sexual abuse can be sufficient to trigger an onset of depression. Stressors that trigger depression may be fresh, or they may be past events that are intensely remembered for some reason or another. Even normal developmental milestones such as puberty, marriage, or retirement may serve to trigger depression when a particular event is personally distressing to a given individual. Other more typical sorts of life changes may trigger depression as well. Stressors capable of triggering major depression may include the death of a loved one and other significant losses such as a job layoff or relationship difficulties such as divorce or separation. Still other people with Major Depression experience increasingly frequent episodes as they grow older.Įpisodes of Major Depression can be triggered by highly stressful events. Some people have isolated depressive episodes that are separated by many years during which mood is normal, whereas other individuals experience clusters of major depressive episodes that occur closely together in time. The course of Major Depression, Recurrent varies across individuals. ![]() Similarly, having had three episodes increases the chances to about 90% that a fourth episode will occur. Approximately 60% of people with MDD who experience a single depressive episode go on to have a second episode, and about 70% are likely to experience a third episode. The more major depressive episodes an individual experiences, the more likely they are to develop future episodes. However, many people who experience one major depressive episode will go on to experience multiple major depressive episodes. Some people only experience a single depressive episode and thereafter are symptom free. Untreated, a Major Depressive Episode may last, on average, about 4 months. ![]()
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