Depression is a mental condition or brain disorder where the person suppers with sadness or extreme grief. A person can face sadness in life due to many causes. Failure in business, death of loved ones, any injury, etc can cause sadness. But depression can cause mood disorders for a long time. Some people may face depression for their whole life. Depression can also cause changes in your physical health.
Common causes of depression
Depression can occur due to several reasons. A person can face depression due to mental as well as physical causes:
Abuse
Abuse is one of the most common causes of depression or any mental illness. Any type of abuse such as physical, emotional, or sexual can cause depression.
Several medications
Certain medications like isotretinoin, corticosteroids, interferon-alpha can cause depression. Get proper depression treatment Pennsylvania to live your life without any sadness or grief.
Age
Elderly people are at high risk of getting depression. Certain factors like no social support can worsen the condition.
Death of loved once
Extreme sadness can cause depression. A person can face depression due to the sudden death of any loved one or family member.
Gender
Gender also plays an important role in depression. Women are more likely to get depression than men. The exact cause behind the gender factor is not sure. But hormonal changes throughout life can be a possible cause.
Family conflicts
Family conflicts like divorce or any dispute can affect the brain. Any type of grief due to family members or friends can cause depression.
Genes
Depression may run in families. A person is vulnerable to depression if any of his family members are facing the same condition. But there is a possibility that depression can be caused due to the behavior a person learns at home instead of genetics.
Major life events
Some people also get depressed due to any big changes in their life. Teens get depressed after completing school and enrolling in university. Many people get depressed when they get a job in a new city. Other changes in life such as marriage, divorce, retirement, etc can cause stress that can lead to depression.
Illness
Major illnesses such as cancer can cause depression. People may also face depression due to body shame such as obesity, skin color, etc.
Substance abuse
People often use substances such as alcohol, drugs to release stress. But the misuse of these substances can lead to depression. People think drinking or smoking makes them feel better but these substances are killing you from inside.
How does depression affect your life?
Increase sensitivity to pain
Depression can cause changes in the brain which affect body functions. Many things can lead to the abnormal functioning of neurotransmitters. These neurotransmitters like serotonin can affect the pain threshold. Due to this, a person can become more sensitive to pain. Due to this, a person may face back pain or neck pain.
Sleep issues
A person with depression often faces sleep issues. Your sleep gets affected due to any mental condition like stress, ADHD, phobias, etc. Due to depression a person can’t get enough sleep. Several sad thoughts start running in his mind whenever he tries to take a rest or sleep. Lack of proper sleep can cause other problems in life. When a person doesn’t get enough sleep, he can’t focus on work or other activities. Due to insomnia he feels dozy for the whole day but can’t get proper sleep. However, some people may face oversleeping issues due to depression.
Decreased interest in sex
Depression can affect your sexual life. Healthy sex is necessary to boost your mood and relationships. However, depression can reduce the sex drive. Due to depression, men may face ED issues. Women can also face issues like loss of desire. People may start losing enjoyment in sex. Due to this, a person may face issues in his relationship.
Decreased appetite
Depression won’t go away in days or weeks. This condition will only affect your mental health but may start interfering in your body function. Depression can cause loss of appetite. This can be an early sign of depression. A person may not focus on his diet plans such as skipping breakfast or dinner. But some people may start overeating due to depression. A proper diet is necessary to keep your body and mind fit. A lost appetite can lead to an unhealthy lifestyle.
Lack of social life
When a person is depressed, he starts cutting social activities. Instead of walking outside, he prefers staying at home. Depression affects a person’s social life. Due to a lack of social support, a person may start more negative or suicidal thoughts. He can’t share his feelings or sadness which leads to more misery.
Physical complications
Depression doesn’t cause any physical illness directly. However, depression can increase the risk of complications. If a person has cancer then depression may cause more damage. Some conditions that can get negatively affected by depression are cardiovascular diseases, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, stroke., arthritis, etc.
Treatment options for depression
You should get treatment before depression causes major issues in your life. Several medications and therapies are available for treating depression. You should visit a doctor to get proper help.
Medications
Your doctor may prescribe you antidepressants to maintain your serotonin level. Common SSRIs for depression are citalopram, escitalopram, etc. Some people also use SNRIs such as desvenlafaxine to maintain serotonin and other receptors. MAOIs are also effective in treating depression. But when a person is taking MAOI medication he has to avoid certain food items. When a person is facing manic depression then the doctor may prescribe antipsychotic medication.
Psychotherapy
Therapies are very effective in treating depression. Medications can reduce the symptoms but you need therapy for complete treatment. Your psychotherapist uses therapies like CBT to release mental stress and reduce depression. In cognitive therapy, your doctor will try to identify the causes behind the depression. He helps to reduce the negative thoughts in your mind and find ways to think positively. In behavior therapy, he will try to make changes to your behavior such as asking you to add in social groups. Sometimes the therapist also asks family members like your partner to work with you. Good talk with your family or friends can help in improving mental health and treating depression.