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A prolonged sense of melancholy and loss of interest are symptoms of depression, a mood illness. Clinical depression, also known as major depressive disorder, affects how you feel, think, and behave and can cause a number of emotional and physical issues. You can find it difficult to carry out your regular daily tasks, and you might occasionally think life isn’t worth living.
Depression is more than just a case of the blues, and you can’t immediately “snap out” of it. Long-term therapy may be necessary for depression. But resist giving up. With medicine, counseling, or both, the majority of depressed persons get improved symptoms.
Symptoms
Although you might only experience depression once in your lifetime, most people experience multiple episodes. During these episodes, symptoms can include any of the following and may last for the majority of the day:
- Sadness, tears, emptiness, or a sense of futility
- Irrational behavior, irritation, or agitation, especially about trivial issues
- Loss of enjoyment or interest in the majority of everyday activities, including sex, hobbies, and sports
- Sleep disorders, such as insomnia or excessive sleeping
- Due to fatigue and a lack of energy, even simple chores need more effort.
- Weight loss and decreased appetite, or weight gain and increased desires for food
- A feeling of unease, anxiety, or worry
- Sluggish speech, posture, or other physical motions
- Feelings of shame or worthlessness, a fixation on mistakes made in the past, or self-blame
- Problems with memory, concentration, decision-making, and thought
- Suicidal thoughts, frequent or recurring ones, attempts at suicide, or thoughts of death
- Unaccounted-for bodily issues, such as headaches or back pain
Many depressed persons experience symptoms that are often severe enough to interfere noticeably with daily activities including job, school, social interactions, or relationships with others. Without truly understanding why, some people may feel generally dissatisfied or unhappy.
Children’s and adolescents’ signs of depression
There might be some distinctions between the typical indications and symptoms of depression in adolescents and teenagers and adults.
Younger children may exhibit melancholy, impatience, clinginess, concern, aches and pains, refusal to attend school, or underweight as indications of depression.
Teens may experience symptoms such as sadness, irritability, feeling down and unworthy, anger, poor performance or poor attendance at school, feeling misunderstood and overly sensitive, using alcohol or drugs recreationally, eating excessively, engaging in self-harm, losing interest in regular activities, and avoiding social interaction.
Depression in senior citizens
Depression is never to be taken lightly because it is not a typical aspect of aging. Unfortunately, older adults with depression frequently go undiagnosed and untreated, and they may be hesitant to get help. Older persons may experience various or less noticeable signs of depression, such as:
- Memory issues or character alterations
- Physical discomfort
- Symptoms of exhaustion, anorexia, insomnia, or lack of desire in sex that are not brought on by a disease or medicine
- Frequently preferring to stay in rather than leave the house to interact with others or try new things
- Especially with elderly men, suicidal thoughts or sentiments
Whenever to visit a doctor
Make an appointment to visit your doctor or a mental health expert as soon as you can if you’re feeling down. Talk to a friend or loved one, a health care provider, a religious leader, or someone else you trust if you’re hesitant to seek help.
Causes
What specifically causes depression is unknown. Many different factors could be at play, just like with many mental disorders, including:
Biological variations. There are visible physical changes in the brains of those who are depressed. Although the significance of these changes is still unknown, they might eventually point to their root causes.
Mind chemistry. Neurotransmitters are organic brain substances that probably contribute to depression. Recent studies suggest that alterations in these neurotransmitters’ effects and interactions with the neurocircuits responsible for preserving mood stability may have a substantial impact on depression and its treatment.
Hormones. Depression may be brought on by or triggered by changes in the hormone balance in the body. Hormone shifts can occur during pregnancy, in the days or weeks following birth (postpartum), and as a result of thyroid issues, menopause, or a variety of other diseases.
Inherited characteristics. People with blood relatives who also have this condition are more likely to experience depression. Researchers are looking for genes that could contribute to depression.
Risk elements
Depression may strike anybody at any age, although it often starts in a person’s teens, 20s, or 30s. Although women are more likely to seek treatment, there are more women than men who have been diagnosed with depression.
The following list of elements appears to raise the chance of getting or starting depression:
- Some character traits, like having low self-esteem and being overly reliant, self-critical, or pessimistic
- Circumstances that are traumatic or distressing, such as physical or sexual abuse, the loss of a loved one, the end of a relationship, or financial difficulties
- Blood relations having a history of suicidal thoughts, alcoholism, bipolar disorder, or sadness
- Other mental health conditions such as anxiety disorders, eating disorders, or post-traumatic stress disorder in the past
- Alcohol or recreational drug abuse
- Ailment that is severe or persistent, such as cancer, a stroke, chronic pain, or heart disease
- Certain medications, such as some antihypertensive drugs or sleeping aids (before stopping any medication, consult your doctor)
Complications
A major disease like depression may have a negative impact on you and your family. If depression isn’t addressed, it frequently grows worse, leading to emotional, behavioral, and physiological issues that have an impact on every aspect of your life.
Prevention
There is no foolproof method to stop depression. However, these methods might be useful.
Take action to manage your stress, build your resilience, and improve your self-esteem.
To get through difficult times, reach out to family and friends, especially during times of crisis.
Get help as soon as a problem arises to stop depression from getting worse.
To assist prevent a return of symptoms, think about receiving long-term maintenance therapy.
Depression (major depressive disorder) – Symptoms and causes