The most common mental health disorder is depression.
Almost every 6th woman is affected (men 15%).
Depression includes psychological and physical symptoms. Various degrees of severity, courses and clinical pictures are distinguished in the diagnosis, each of which requires special treatment. This is why an accurate diagnosis is so important.
Degree of severity | Mild depressive disorder |
Moderate depressive disorder | |
Major depressive disorder | |
Forms of depressive disorder | Typical depression / major depression |
Bipolar disorder / manic depressive disorder | |
Cyklothomya | |
Dysthymia | |
Reactive depression |
The severity of depression depends on the number of different individual depressive symptoms that patients are diagnosed with. Another decisive factor in the diagnosis is whether the patient can still participate in everyday life and whether they are able to interact with others in their depressive thinking.
Mild depressive disorder
Moderate depressive disorder
Major depressive disorder
Depressive symptoms in medical terms (According to ICD 10 p. 68)
According to diagnose criteria depressing episodes are characterized if the patient report the symptomes for at least more than 2 weeks.
1. Depressive experience
2, Depressive thinking
3. Physical symptoms
If you find yourself in this don´t hesitate to get professional help! Untreated Depression can lead to suicide.
Check also Chapter 5, Lesson4: Risk Assessment.
An additional search criterion for the classification of depressive disorders is their past and (probable) future course.
A distinction is made between:
Major depression | Classic type of severe depression. We speak of severe depression when the depressive symptoms last for a longer period of time (at least 2 weeks). Often, patients are no longer able to keep up with everyday life. A phasic course is possible, which means that depressive phases can occur again and again, but there are also phases without symptoms in between. |
Bipolar disorder | In bipolar disorder, or manic depressive illness, the person affected goes through both phases, i.e. manic or depressive states. The affected person experiences manic phases as a high and not as suffering. Nevertheless, it is mainly relatives who are affected: When people are manic, they lose control of their actions and, above all, the ability to see the consequences of their actions. Wrong decisions and dangerous situations are frequent, and financial risks are also taken with negative consequences. |
Cyclothymia | One speaks of a cyclothyme disorder when patients complain of mood swings without a comprehensible connection to corresponding life events. These mood changes are comparable to the poles of a bipolar disorder, but neither in high mood nor in depressive outburst with a mania or major depressive episode to be equated. Often patients with cyclothyme disorder remain undiagnosed and or untreated, because they do not suffer so severely. |
Dysthymia | Dysthymia means a pathological tendency to sad moods. It is not as severe as a depressive episode, but it lasts longer. According to the diagnosis, it lasts at least 2 years. |
Reactive depression | An adjustment disorder or reactive depression develops as a direct response to a stressful life event. The triggering situation is experienced as a loss, separation or insult. This depression can be over after a few weeks, but longer courses and transitions into other forms of depression are also possible. |
Positive activites, or activities that you used to like in the past, can help you to motivate yourself and get more active again. For a list of positive activities, you will find a large selection online, where you can choose suitable activities for you and get inspired to try new things.
A daily schedule will help you to structure and manage your daily life again and gives you motivation, in case you are in a depressive mood.
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