Mental Health Information
Does depressive illness follow a pattern?
Unfortunately, once a person has had a clinical depression, he/she is more likely to suffer from depression again. For example, some people experience seasonal cycles of depression, particularly in winter. This is called Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.).

Five to ten percent of people who experience depression also experience states of exaggerated happiness or elation called mania. The occurrence of both depression and mania at different times is called bipolar affective disorder, while repeated experiences of depression alone is termed unipolar affective disorder.

Mental Health Tips & Questions

What are the signs of depressive illness?

Depression becomes an illness, or clinical depression, when the feelings described above are severe, last for several weeks, and begin to interfere with one's work and social life. Depressive illness can change the way a person thinks and behaves, and how his/her body functions. Some of the signs to look for are:

feeling worthless, helpless or hopeless,
sleeping more or less than usual,
eating more or less than usual,
having difficulty concentrating or making decisions,
loss of interest in taking part in activities,
decreased sex drive,
avoiding other people,
overwhelming feelings of sadness or grief,
feeling unreasonably guilty,
loss of energy, feeling very tired,
thoughts of death or suicide.