Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)

Major Depressive Disorder or MDD for short, also called clinical depression and Major depression is a mental health disorder characterized by persistently depressed moods or loss of interest in activities, causing significant impairment in daily life. Possible causes include a combination of biological, psychological, and social sources of distress or trauma. Increasingly, research suggests these factors may cause changes in brain function, including altered activity of certain neural circuits in the brain. The persistent feeling of sadness or loss of interest that characterizes major depression can lead to a range of behavioral and physical symptoms. These may include changes in sleep, appetite, energy level, concentration, daily behavior, or self-esteem. Depression can also be associated with thoughts of suicide. People with MDD moods may experience anxiety, general discontent, guilt, hopelessness, loss of interest or pleasure in activities, mood swings, or sadness. Their sleep may experience early awakening, excess sleepiness, insomnia, or restless sleep. Their whole body may experience excessive hunger, fatigue, loss of appetite, restlessness, weight gain or loss. Their behavior may experience agitation, excessive crying, irritability, or social isolation. Their cognitive (relating to thinking, learning, and understanding) may experience a lack of concentration, slowness in activity, or thoughts of suicide. Repeatedly going over thoughts, over thinking, is also very common with this disorder. Diagnosis requires being seen by a licensed medical professional. There are several treatments for MDD and they consist of medications, talk therapy, or a combination of the two. Increasingly, research suggests these treatments may normalize brain changes associated with depression.

I have experienced MDD for almost my entire life on this great planet. However, I was not fully diagnosed until 2015. I can say that at one point in time, I just thought the way I felt was the way that everyone felt. Talking about mental health was not a thing that my family did while I was growing up. A lot of them still don't talk about it. I can say that I have experienced all of the characteristics of MDD so by the time I decided to go to counseling I was pretty sure that I was clinically depressed. Since being in counseling for 9 going on 10 years, I will say that my journey to recovery has included a combination of medications, talk therapy, and EMDR therapy.