Depression (Depressive Disorder)
Do you wake up tired, feel empty, and nothing seems worth doing anymore — not even the things you once loved? Depression is a persistent low mood or loss of interest lasting at least 2 weeks, affecting how you think, feel, sleep and function (ICD-11 6A70–6A71). It can be mild, moderate or severe, and may come as a single episode or keep returning.
How common is it?
About 5–7 in 100 adults each year. It can start at any age, most often in the late teens to mid-20s.
Who is at higher risk?
- Women (about 1.5–2 times more)
- Family history of depression
- Loss, breakup, loneliness or abuse
- Money or job stress
- Chronic illness (thyroid, diabetes, heart disease)
- Alcohol or drug use
- New mothers
Signs & symptoms
- Feelings: sadness, emptiness, hopelessness, irritability, guilt, feeling worthless
- Thoughts: "I'm a burden," "Nothing will change," poor concentration, indecisiveness, thoughts of death
- Body: tiredness, sleeping too little or too much, appetite and weight change, aches and pains
- Behaviour: withdrawing from people, losing interest in hobbies, slowing down, crying easily
What causes it?
A combination of genes (about 35–40% inherited), changes in brain chemicals (serotonin, noradrenaline, dopamine), high stress hormones, negative thinking patterns and painful life events (bio-psycho-social model).
How to know if you are struggling — you may relate if…
- I feel heavy and flat nearly every day, and it's been weeks.
- I've stopped meeting friends and don't enjoy anything.
- Getting out of bed feels like climbing a mountain.
- Sometimes I feel everyone would be better off without me." — please talk to someone today and call Tele-MANAS 14416.
How Mind Detox Centre helps
A careful assessment of mood, risk and underlying causes using standard tools, then CBT and behavioural activation to lift mood step by step, ACT and mindfulness-based therapy to prevent relapse, and family involvement where helpful. For moderate to severe depression, we work together with a psychiatrist.
Persistent Low Mood (Dysthymia)
Have you felt "low" for so long that you think it's just your personality? Dysthymia is a milder but long-lasting depressed mood present on most days for 2 years or more (ICD-11 6A72).
How common is it?
About 3–6 in 100 people over a lifetime.
Who is at higher risk?
People with difficult childhoods, long-term stress, low support, or a family history of depression.
Signs & symptoms
Constant low mood, low energy, low self-esteem, pessimism, poor concentration, feeling that life is "grey" — rarely feeling truly well.
What causes it?
Genetic vulnerability, early adversity, chronic stress and deep-rooted negative beliefs about oneself.
How to know if you are struggling — you may relate if…
- I can't remember the last time I felt happy for long.
- I function, but I'm never really okay.
How Mind Detox Centre helps
Longer-term CBT and schema-focused therapy to change core beliefs, behavioural activation and psychiatric review where needed.
Postpartum (Perinatal) Depression
Everyone expects you to be happy after the baby arrives — so why do you feel overwhelmed, tearful and numb? Postpartum depression is depression that begins during pregnancy or in the weeks after childbirth (ICD-11 6E20). Unlike the "baby blues," it does not go away within 2 weeks.
How common is it?
About 10 in 100 pregnant women and 13 in 100 new mothers worldwide (WHO); up to about 20 in 100 in low- and middle-income countries.
Who is at higher risk?
- Past depression or anxiety
- Little support from partner or family
- Unplanned pregnancy
- Difficult delivery or unwell baby
- Family conflict
- Pressure about the baby's gender
Signs & symptoms
Constant sadness or crying; feeling overwhelmed; anxiety and poor sleep even when the baby sleeps; feeling disconnected from the baby; guilt about being a "bad mother"; frightening thoughts of harm to self or baby (seek urgent help).
What causes it?
A sudden fall in pregnancy hormones after delivery, sleep deprivation, and emotional and social pressure.
How to know if you are struggling — you may relate if…
- I love my baby, but I feel nothing.
- I feel like I'm failing as a mother.
How Mind Detox Centre helps
Gentle, confidential sessions (in person or online), screening with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, CBT and interpersonal support, partner and family sessions, and coordination with your gynaecologist and psychiatrist.
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)
Do you feel like a different person — angry, tearful, hopeless — in the week before your period, and fine again once it starts? PMDD is a severe form of premenstrual symptoms that seriously affects mood and relationships (ICD-11 GA34.41).
How common is it?
About 3–8 in 100 women of menstruating age.
Who is at higher risk?
Women with a history of depression or anxiety, high stress or a family history of PMDD.
Signs & symptoms
Irritability or anger, mood swings, sadness, anxiety, fatigue, food cravings, bloating and breast tenderness in the premenstrual week.
What causes it?
An unusual sensitivity of the brain to normal monthly hormone changes, linked with serotonin.
How to know if you are struggling — you may relate if…
- Every month, the same week, I fight with everyone and then feel guilty.
How Mind Detox Centre helps
Symptom tracking over 2 cycles, CBT, stress management and lifestyle planning, with gynaecologist referral for medical treatment.
Masked (Hidden) Depression
Headaches, body pain, gas, tiredness — medicines and tests keep saying "nothing is wrong." In masked depression, emotional pain shows up through the body, and the person may not feel or say they are sad. It is a clinical description rather than a separate diagnosis, and very common in India, where many people express distress physically.
How common is it?
In primary-care studies, more than half of people with depression first come with only physical complaints.
Who is at higher risk?
- People who find it hard to talk about feelings
- Men
- Homemakers
- Older adults
- Families where emotions are not discussed
Signs & symptoms
Repeated doctor visits for pain with normal reports, constant fatigue, poor sleep and appetite, irritability, loss of interest, over-working or drinking to cope.
What causes it?
Depression combined with stigma and difficulty naming emotions, pushing distress into the body.
How to know if you are struggling — you may relate if…
- My body always hurts, I'm always tired, and nothing brings me joy — but I'm not 'depressed.'
How Mind Detox Centre helps
An assessment that looks beyond the physical symptoms, followed by CBT, emotional-awareness work and coordination with your physician.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between sadness and depression?
Sadness passes with time and events; depression lasts 2 weeks or more, affects sleep, energy and interest, and disrupts daily life.
Can depression be treated without medicines?
Mild to moderate depression often improves with psychotherapy such as CBT alone. Severe depression usually needs both therapy and medication.
Is postpartum depression my fault?
No. It is caused by hormonal, physical and social changes — and it is very treatable.