Cat24 asked this question on 5/3/2000:

Hi,

I'm impressed with your ranking and all the "hats" you wear. Not to mention your fast response time! I wanted to know if you can "cure" depression or if you fight it all your life, like alcoholism. Thanks, Laura

CeeBee gave this response on 5/3/2000:

Hi, Laura --

Do I know you?...hmmmm...

What kind of depression are you talking about? Here's an answer I gave someone on 02/29/00 --

Depression falls into three general categories: 1) normal emotion, 2) symptom of something that has happened, and 3) psychiatric disorder.

In 1) normal emotion, depressed feelings or passing sadness is a natural part of everyone's experience, as an adaptive response to everyday disappointments. E.g., I didn't get a promised letter from my mom today, so I'm feeling a bit blue. My sadness is relatively benign, will pass, appropriate to the situation, and reversible.

In 2) symptom, depressed feelings (grief) can be a reaction to a life change. That's why this type of depression is called a "reactive depression." Dejection, less interest or pleasure in the outside world, little or no activity or motivation, reduction of the capacity to love, physical vegetative signs (e.g, reduced appetite or sleep disturbance), and even loss of the will to live or the active wish to die are characteristics of a reactive depression. A reactive depression can occur after a death, divorce, romantic breakup, loss of a job, move to another location, etc. This type of depression is usually reversible with time, counseling, cognitive-behavioral techniques, and perhaps medication.

In 3) psychiatric disorder, depression is a morbid sadness or melancholia. Pathological depression has many of the above signs in 1) and 2) but is distinctly different in that there is a fundamental low self-regard which results in a profound belittling of oneself. In this category there is a depressed pervasive "mood" rather than a depressed "affect." This type of depression, the psychiatric disorder, sometimes stems from genetic and biochemical factors. It can be a prolonged (or even lifelong) illness that is probably not reversible. A combined psychotherapy-pharmacotherapy approach can alleviate many of the symptoms of major depression, but the patient will probably always need to be involved in some form of treatment program.

Does this help at all? Please let me know if I can clarify any of the above.

Best wishes, CeeBee

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Cat24 rated this answer a 5.