1. What is depression?
Depression is such a vague term that the average person thinks of it as something from the movie “The Graduate” or some other low-budget film. Many people have no idea what depression really is and what it means.
But I assure you, it’s not as simple as that. It’s a complex topic, with serious consequences. Depression is a disorder that affects individuals in many ways. It can be debilitating, isolating, and even dangerous depending on the severity of symptoms.
To understand the disorder better, we need to discuss its symptoms and how they manifest.
There are three main symptom types: Feeling bad; Negative thinking; and Sleep problems (specifically sleep apnea). All three can be grouped together under one heading called depression because they all cause feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and/or pessimism about oneself or about the future. Each symptom also has specific effects on our nervous system that contribute to our ability to function normally in everyday life.
Depression can also have short-term effects on our overall health . The quality of your sleep is one such example where changes in sleep cycle may have long-term consequences for your physical health. In fact, there have been recent studies that show that sleeping less than 7 hours per night may increase your risk for obesity , heart disease , diabetes , high blood pressure , and all manner of illness . However, even more important are changes in mood — whether you feel sad or happy — which are caused by changes in brain activity . Additionally, depression can adversely impact our ability to learn new things and make decisions or remember details from previous events . As a result of all these factors combined together , depression is considered a major mental disorder by the DSM-V (the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders).
2. How does depression exist on a continuum?
3. What are the symptoms of chronic depression?
I’m not saying that depression is a serious medical condition or that it should be treated as such. What I am saying is that when you relate to a person suffering from depression, you should be aware of the fact that there are several different symptoms and degrees of severity. This can vary from mild to severe and even fatal depending on how they are diagnosed and treated.
The symptoms of chronic depression include:
1) Low mood, loss of appetite, insomnia, fatigue and sleep disturbances
2) Decreased concentration and poor memory
3) Poor decision making, including financial decisions and leisure activity choices
4) Difficulty making friends or socializing with others
5) Insomnia or excessive sleepiness during the day (depression is often called “the sleep disorder” because most people with the disorder cannot get enough sleep at night despite their obvious need for rest.)
4. How is chronic depression treated?
How is chronic depression treated? It’s not as simple as saying “take antidepressant drugs”.
Depression is a challenging illness for doctors and patients alike. Unfortunately, it’s often misunderstood by the general public and doctors.
There are many experts who believe that depression is a physical disease, however, the vast majority of psychologists and psychiatrists agree that there’s’ no such thing as a “physical brain disease” or “biological disorder” which causes or exacerbates depression.
There are symptoms of depression that can be easily diagnosed and treated. These symptoms include: fatigue, poor appetite and weight loss, feeling sad or hopeless, low energy, loss of interest in daily activities, sleeping too much and/or too little, changes in behavior (such as being irritable or withdrawn), having thoughts about death or suicide, feelings of guilt about your behavior, difficulty concentrating on things you used to enjoy doing before you got depressed (e.g., reading) and difficulty sleeping during the day. Treating depression isn’t easy – but it’s very important to do what works for you when you feel like things aren’t working to get better- especially if your doctor hasn’t told you that your treatment options are limited by your condition.
5. What are the benefits of treatment?
Depression is an emotional disorder that causes a person to feel sad or hopeless, and not be able to cope with life. It’s a real problem.
A recent study of depression in adolescents revealed that the duration of depressive episodes was 13 months on average, which is about four times longer than the 7-month duration for bipolar disorder (12.5-month average duration), and twice as long as the 4-month duration for premenstrual dysphoric disorder (6.3-month average duration).
Depression has no biological explanation, but there are psychological ones like low self-esteem, guilt and shame, which may play a role in its development.
The first step toward treating depression is identifying it as such – recognizing that it exists in your life – and getting help for treatment of it as soon as possible. Treatment options include counseling and medication; some people prefer therapy but many don’t or can’t afford it. But even if you can afford treatment, the cost might be too high to consider now – because you’ll be dealing with a serious illness that could potentially have long term consequences on your quality of life.
6. How can loved ones help someone who is struggling with chronic depression?
The problem is that most people don’t know how to recognize the symptoms of depression. It’s hard enough trying to understand and overcome a physical illness, so why would it be any different when it comes to mental illness?
How do you know if someone is suffering from any of the common symptoms of depression? The first step is recognizing that you have a chronic condition. You may not recognize it or even see the signs, but it affects you every day.
Just as one person’s physical illness can cause stress for another and contribute to health problems in their body, your mental health may be contributing to your physical health.
The problem is that most people don’t know how to recognize the symptoms of depression. It’s hard enough trying to understand and overcome a physical illness, so why would it be any different when it comes to mental illness?
How do you know if someone is suffering from any of the common symptoms of depression? The first step is recognizing that you have a chronic condition. You may not recognize it or even see the signs, but it affects you every day.
Just as one person’s physical illness can cause stress for another and contribute to health problems in their body, your mental health may be contributing to your physical health. Depression occurs for all sorts of reasons; personal life events (including relationship struggles), job changes or career shifts, personal adversity (such as losing a loved one), financial reverses or losses or job loss, or changes in medications or treatments (including taking thyroid medication). Some circumstances are more likely than others: Low-income individuals are three times more likely than high-income individuals who are depressed; women are twice as likely as men; younger people are twice as likely as older people who suffer from depression; women who suffer from gender identity issues such as transgendered individuals and those who identify themselves outside of their gender presentation are twice as likely than women who identify with their biological gender; those with a history of substance abuse are more likely than others with no history; people with severe chronic pain are four times more likely than others without such issues; those who have experienced severe head trauma during childhood are five times more likely than others without such experiences.
It’s also important for loved ones to recognize the signs of various disorders because painful emotions (such as anxiety) can interfere with proper functioning in daily life activities like cooking meals and cleaning up after children or managing finances. If someone has suffered
7. What is the outlook for people with chronic depression?
Depression is not a single condition. It’s a range of symptoms from mild to severe. In other words, there are many different types of depression. Some people have no specific symptoms, whereas others experience chronic symptoms that last for weeks or months at a time.
If you’re suffering from chronic depression, you are likely experiencing several of the common symptoms I’m about to discuss:
1. Fatigue and/or loss of interest and motivation
2. Insomnia and/or wakefulness at night
3. Decreased energy levels and fatigue during the day
4. Poor concentration and difficulty in concentrating on things at the same time
5. Decrease in appetite