Major depressive disorder: Causes

The tendency to develop depression may be inherited: according to the National Institute of Mental Health[22] there is some evidence that depression may run in families. Most experts believe that both biological and psychological factors play a role.
Brain chemicals called neurotransmitters allow electrical signals to move from the axon of one nerve cell to the soma of another. A shortage of neurotransmitters impairs brain communication.
Brain chemicals called neurotransmitters allow electrical signals to move from the axon of one nerve cell to the soma of another. A shortage of neurotransmitters impairs brain communication.

Bipolar Disorder: Diagnosis

Diagnosis is based on the self-reported experiences of the patient as well as abnormalities in behavior reported by family members, friends or co-workers, followed by secondary signs observed by a psychiatrist, nurse, social worker, clinical psychologist or other clinician in a clinical assessment. There is a list of criteria that must be met for someone to be so diagnosed. These depend on both the presence and duration of certain signs and symptoms.

Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is not a single disorder, but a category of mood disorders defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated mood, clinically referred to as mania. Individuals who experience manic episodes also commonly experience depressive episodes or symptoms, or mixed episodes in which features of both mania and depression are present. These episodes are normally separated by periods of normal mood, but in some patients, depression and mania may rapidly alternate, known as rapid cycling. Extreme manic episodes can sometimes lead to psychotic symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations. The disorder has been subdivided into bipolar I, bipolar II, Bipolar NOS, and cyclothymia based on the type and severity of mood episodes experienced.

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