Depression is a type of mood disorder. When a person is depressed, he feels sadness or loss. This is not a temporary illness that disappears in a few days. People often feel sad for days or weeks after a breakup, any trauma, accident, or loss of someone. But after a few days, things get normal and the feeling of sadness disappears. If a person is depressed, he feels sadness for a long time such as for months or years. Depression is different from grief. In most cases, depression involves poor self-esteem and self-loathing. Depression can be a lifetime condition if not treated on time. Many times, people ignore their mental health and then face the aftermath. Don’t treat depression like grief or temporary illness. Depression not only makes you sad but also interferes with your daily life. You may lose your social life, relationship and lead to lower productivity.
Depression is itself a major mental issue. But the conditions can get worse when the person is having other conditions such as cancer, obesity, asthma, arthritis, or any cardiovascular disease. Feeling sad sometimes is normal as everyone faces some ups and downs in his life. But when a person always feels hopeless or sad, he needs help.
Common symptoms of depression
Depression is not only a feeling of sadness. There can be multiple causes of depression. Most symptoms are related to your mood but some symptoms can also affect your body.
General symptoms of depression
The symptoms of depression can vary from person to person. Some symptoms can be temporary whereas some can appear for a long time. If you feel the symptoms for more than 15 days, you must consult a doctor. Some general symptoms of depression are:
- Feeling sad and empty
- Crying often
- Feeling worthless or hopeless
- Always annoyed or angry
- Poor energy
- Difficulty in sleeping or oversleeping
- Weight changes
- Appetite loss
- Difficulty in concentration
- Unable to take the correct decision
- Self-harm
- Suicidal thoughts
Symptoms of depression in male
Changes in mood like anger, restlessness aggressiveness
- Feeling sad, hopeless, or empty
- Loss of interest in everything
- Drug intake
- Alcohol abuse
- Excessive smoking
- Engaging in gambling and other wrongdoing
- Poor sexual desire
- Difficulty in concentration or completing tasks
- Poor sleeping pattern
- Fatigue
- Digestive issues
- Self-harm or suicidal thoughts
Symptoms of depression in females
- Always feel irritate
- Loss of interest in any activity or hobby
- Poor social engagement
- Suicidal thoughts
- Poor cognitive abilities
- Sleeping issues
- Poor appetite
- Weight changes
- Headaches
- Increased cramps
- Fatigue
Common causes of depression
Depression can occur due to various biological and circumstantial reasons:
Brain changes: Depression can occur due to any chemical imbalance in your brain. These chemicals manage your mood, thoughts, appetite, and behavior. If these brain chemicals are imbalanced, a person may face depression.
Hormonal changes: In females, depression often occurs due to hormonal changes. The level of essential female hormones such as estrogen and progesterone changes throughout life. Due to this, lots of females face depression during the postpartum period, perimenopause, or after menopause.
Any trauma: Any type of trauma like a major accident, death of loved ones, etc can lead to depression. Many people face depression due to childhood trauma.
Brain structure: People with a less active frontal lobe often face depression. But there is no exact proof behind this reason.
Family history: People are at higher risk of depression if any person in their family has depression.
Substance use: Alcohol abuse or substance misuse can lead to depression.
Medical conditions: Depression can be a symptom of any underlying condition such as insomnia, chronic illness, stroke, heart attack, or cancer.
Pain: Many people face depression when they are dealing with chronic pain. Due to the pain, they often start feeling lonely and sad and later develop depression.
Common risk factors for depression
Gender: Females have higher chances of facing depression than men.
Socioeconomic status: Many people face depression due to financial problems and low social status.
Genetics: Families with a history of depression are at risk of developing this disorder.
Gender identity: People belonging to LGBTQ+ often face identity problems that can lead to depression.
Substance misuse: People who take substances like drugs or drink a lot can experience depression.
Certain medications: Certain medications such as beta-blockers, hormonal birth control, corticosteroids, etc increase the risk of depression.
Medical conditions: People with chronic conditions like chronic pain, cancer, etc may also experience depression.
Treatment for depression
You can treat depression with certain medications and therapies. These medicines can help in reducing depression symptoms.
Medications
Medications may not treat the condition but can help in managing various symptoms of depression.
SSRIs
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are the most common medicines for treating depression. SSRI increases the availability of neurotransmitters serotonin that help in managing emotions. But these medicines should not be given to pregnant women.
SNRIs
SNRIs increase the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine. But these medicines shouldn’t be taken with MAOIs.
NDRIs
Noradrenaline and dopamine reuptake inhibitors (NDRIs) help in managing the symptoms of depression by increasing the levels of dopamine and noradrenaline.
MAOIs
These medicines increase serotonin, tyramine, dopamine, and norepinephrine level. These medications can cause certain side effects. Doctors only suggest MAOIs when other medications are not providing positive results.
Homeopathy
Lots of people are adopting homeopathy for depression. Depression is a type of chronic condition and may take several months or years to treat. Taking allopathic medications for a long time often shows side effects. But homeopathy is safe and doesn’t cause any side effects. This dynamic medication not only manages the symptoms of depression but can also treat the disorder.
Psychotherapy
This may be the best treatment option to treat depression. Your therapist will help to cope with negative thoughts. Therapies like CBT and DBT help treat depression and other mental disorders. Talk to your therapist and get help to manage your emotions. Doctors often suggest therapy along with medications for positive results. Psychotherapy may take time to show any results but can fully treat depression.