JUST THE FACTS

What is a depressive disorder?

A depressive disorder is a disease that affects mood, thoughts and behavior. Without treatment, symptoms can last for weeks, months, or years. The greatest obstacle to treating depression is lack of recognition. When a "bad day" turns into a bad week, month, or more, there may be a medical explanation for this change in behavior or feelings of hopelessness. Fortunately, appropriate treatment can help more than 90% of those who suffer from depression. 

Depression and teens

• Symptoms
• Prevalence
• Importance of Treatment

Hoja informativa
Síntomas

La enfermedad bipolar (también conocida como "trastorno bipolar" o "enfermedad maníaca-depresiva") es un trastorno cerebral neurobiológico tratable caracterizado por fluctuaciones severas en el estado de ánimo y el nivel de actividad. Los científicos creen que se hereda una predisposición al trastorno.
 

Síntomas

La enfermedad bipolar (también conocida como "trastorno bipolar" o "enfermedad maníaca-depresiva") es un trastorno cerebral neurobiológico tratable caracterizado por fluctuaciones severas en el estado de ánimo y el nivel de actividad. Los científicos creen que se hereda una predisposición al trastorno.
 

Q: What is bipolar disorder?

A: A brain disorder marked by bouts of extreme and impairing changes in mood, energy, thinking, and behavior. Symptoms may emerge either suddenly or gradually during childhood, adolescence, or adulthood.

Q: Can bipolar disorder be cured?

A: Clinical depression and bipolar disorder tend to be episodic in nature. These illnesses are treatable, but right now cannot be cured. The goal of treatment should be to manage the disease, decrease the severity of  depressive and manic episodes and keep recurrences to a minimum.

Q: What is the difference between depression and bipolar illness?

A: Clinical depression is also called "unipolar" depression because a person's mood swings only in one direction - down. Normal periods are separated by a steady drop in mood, which becomes lower and lower. In contrast, manic depression is "bipolar," because the mood swings range from low to high (manic) and back again.

This is an article by a parent about her child's response to mood stabilizers.