Feeling Exceptionally Angry Or Irritable
We always picture people with depression as sad and morose, but theres another side to depressiona crabby and outright aggravated side. Anger attacks, which are strong bits of rage for little or no reason, occur in 30% to 40% of people with depression. This kind of behavior is seen particularly often in depressed children.
How Do You Treat Depression
You may need separate treatment for both depression and sleep problems.
Common medications for depression like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors may help with mood and other depression symptoms, but they might not improve your sleep. Other treatments for depression include various types of talk therapy and medications like antipsychotics. But lingering sleep problems could make these treatments less effective.
A specially designed talk therapy called cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia shows promise in treating insomnia. Some evidence suggests that when combined with depression treatment, CBT-I helps improve sleep problems in people with depression and lessens the chance of depression in the future.
Continuous positive airway pressure devices for sleep apnea can restore good sleep, which can lessen the chance of depression. That’s a big deal since people with sleep apnea are five times more likely to develop depression than others.
Unpacking the treatment options for depression-linked sleep problems is complex because each individual case can be so different. Talk to your health care provider about your symptoms and the best treatment for you.
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Follow Your Medication And Treatment Plan
When you have major depressive disorder, along with initially receiving treatment, its essential to follow your treatment plan and take medications as instructed. If you dont, you run the risk of developing severe complications.
If you were to stop taking a prescribed medication abruptly or without medical supervision, you could experience withdrawal or worsening depression symptoms.
In addition to following your medication and treatment plan, empower yourself and be an active participant in your treatment. Learn more about major depressive disorder so you can ask relevant questions and share input with your healthcare providers.
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Is Depression A Valid Reason To Miss Work
If you don’t feel like your work is meaningful and/or the environment is dreadful, you’re not in a good place. Again, it’s important to note that depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Even with treatment, it’s possible that your symptoms are bad enough to make it difficult to work a 40-hour workweek.
Causes Of Major Depressive Disorder
Depression is caused by an imbalance of chemicals, known as neurotransmitters, in the brain.
Certain genetic, biological, psychological, and environmental factors can increase the chances of someone developing depression however, its important to remember that anyone can develop depression.
The potential causes and risk factors for depression include:
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Overcoming Major Depressive Disorder
If you have been diagnosed with major depressive disorder, it can feel overwhelming. Even though you may have known for a long time that something was wrong, hearing the diagnosis can feel like the end of the world, but its not. Explore these tips on how to cope with major depressive disorder and improve your quality of life.
Depression can affect thoughts and feelings as well as behavior and functionality. Its not uncommon to have trouble doing daily activities when you live with major depressive disorder.
Feelings of depression or anxiety can lead to suicidal thinking. If you or a loved one is experiencing suicidal thoughts or tendencies, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at .
How Is Major Depression Diagnosed
A health professional — such as your primary care doctor or a psychiatrist — will perform a thorough medical evaluation. You might receive a screening for depression at a regular doctorââ¬â¢s visit. The professional will ask about your personal and family psychiatric history and ask you questions that screen for the symptoms of major depression.
There is no blood test, X-ray, or other laboratory test that can be used to diagnose major depression. However, your doctor may run blood tests to help detect any other medical problems that have symptoms similar to those of depression. For example, hypothyroidism can cause some of the same symptoms as depression, as can alcohol or drug use and abuse, some medications, and stroke.
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Never Stop Your Antidepressant Without Guidance From A Doctor
Quitting the medication abruptly without professional support could potentially make your symptoms worse. If you dont notice improvement after taking your prescribed antidepressant for several weeks, or if you experience unwanted side effects, its best to ask the prescribing psychiatrist or clinician about alternatives.
What Can You Do
It helps to understand how sleep trouble and depression interact. The sooner you spot the symptoms of either problem, the sooner you can get the treatment you need to get you back on your feet. Talk to your doctor if you have:
- Trouble falling or staying asleep
- Regular daytime tiredness
- Pain or discomfort that prevents good sleep
- Symptoms of depression like feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, and other symptoms listed above that last longer than a couple of weeks
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Symptoms Of Major Depressive Disorder
These are some of the symptoms of major depressive disorder you may experience:
- Feeling sad or low
- Having difficulty paying attention, remembering, or making decisions
- Having difficulty sleeping, waking up too early, or oversleeping
- Experiencing unplanned changes in eating habits and weight
- Experiencing headaches, cramps, digestive issues, or other aches and pains that dont have a clear cause and dont get better with treatment
- Talking about death, having thoughts of suicide, or attempting self-harm
Everyone experiences depression differently. While some people may have a few symptoms, others may have many. The frequency, severity, and duration of the symptoms can also vary from person to person.
Treatment: Psychotherapy For Depression Symptoms
In essence, psychotherapy helps you get to the bottom of the depression symptoms, understand how depression affects your life, and cultivate healthy habits that will keep your depression at bay.
In general, experts believe therapy is an excellent treatment option for mild forms of depression, and most professionals specialize in depression or have experience working with people who are experiencing depression. When it comes to severe clinical depression, healthcare professionals recommend a psychiatric consultation followed by antidepressant medication to tackle the depression. This balance of treatment medications and therapy can help with the pain of depression while understanding the thoughts and feelings.
Aside from individual therapy, patients with depression can benefit greatly from family and couples therapy. Theres also group therapy for depression which brings together people who suffer from the same condition, creating a community that tests and provides mutual support for depression.
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What Are The Types Of Major Depression
There are several types of depressive disorders:
Life Events And Depression
Research suggests that continuing difficulties, such as long-term unemployment, living in an abusive or uncaring relationship, long-term isolation or loneliness or prolonged exposure to stress at work can increase the risk of depression.
Significant adverse life events, such as losing a job, going through a separation or divorce, or being diagnosed with a serious illness, may also trigger depression, particularly among people who are already at risk because of genetic, developmental or other personal factors.
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Depression Is Often Characterized By Irritability Or Feelings Of Being Misunderstood As Well As Poor Work Attendance Or Performance
Older adults may exhibit personality changes or memory problems. Depression may occur when a person experiences an emotionally painful event, but to be diagnosed with clinical depression, symptoms must continue for at least two weeks.
Depression is recognized by the SSA as an impairment under listing 12.04. The listing includes symptoms and functional problems you must meet in order to qualify for SSDI.
Disability Tax Credit For Depression
The disability tax credit is a type of benefit that lowers your taxable income. To qualify, you must have a severe and prolonged impairment as defined by the program. But, this program has a higher standard than others.
Qualifying for this credit can get some of your previous taxes refunded. It depends on the timeline of your condition. You apply by filling out a T2201 form and sending it to Revenue Canada.
If Revenue Canada denies your claim, you can request an internal appeal. If that appeal fails, then you must go to the Tax Court of Canada to appeal again.
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How Is Depression Diagnosed
Depression can happen along with other medical conditions. These include heart disease, or cancer, as well as other mental health conditions. Early diagnosis and treatment is key to recovery.
A diagnosis is made after a careful mental health exam and medical history done. This is usually done by a mental health professional.
Symptoms And Diagnosis By Age
The type, length, and severity of symptoms vary between individuals.
When diagnosing depression, a doctor will use a questionnaire to evaluate symptoms as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
Clinical depression can affect anyone, but common symptoms change slightly between age groups. There are separate questionnaires for children and adults.
A diagnostic questionnaire asks how symptoms have affected the person over the previous 2 weeks.
There are five ways a person can respond to each symptom, ranging from no effect to causing problems almost every day.
An evaluation for depression might include questions about other psychological features, including:
- repetitive thoughts and behaviors
Psychiatric domains for children and teens also include irritability and attention. Adult domains include personality function, memory, and dissociation.
Questions about symptoms are categorized under psychiatric domains.
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New Tools For Assessing Suicide Risk
The DSM-5 does include new scales for assessing suicide risk: one for adults and one for adolescents. These scales are intended to help clinicians identify suicide risk in patients as they are developing treatment plans.
If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.
For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database.
The tools are included in the new Section III of the DSM-5 and are intended to better support clinicians in identifying risk factors for suicide as well as scales for assessing suicidal behaviors .
Proactive Measures To Treating Depression
Depression can be effectively treated with a positive outcome if caught and treated early. Here are some ways depression can be treated:
Through Medication: Depression has been linked to chemical imbalances, especially in regard to the neurotransmitter serotonin, but medication can often help provide significant symptomatic relief. The most common types of prescribed antidepressants are SSRIs . This medication increases the amount of serotonin a patients brain produces, which can help to improve their mood. According to the Mayo Clinic, SSRIs prevent the reabsorption of serotonin, so the brain has what it needs to feel happy and uplifted.
However, it may take several weeks to see improvement, which is why you may also employ other avenues. Please consult with your doctor or primary care physician before considering any medication options.
Lifestyle Changes: Healthy habits such as avoiding smoking and alcohol, adopting a better diet, and incorporating physical activity into your daily life can improve your mood. While depression can hinder your motivation to do these positive things, getting up and being proactive will be one of the best things that you can do for yourself.
Wondering If Depression Qualifies As A Short Term Disability?
If you ever have thoughts about taking your own life, call 911 immediately. First responders are trained in how to help you. You may also get immediate help by calling the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.
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How Is Depression Syndrome Treated
Depression can be serious, but its also treatable. Treatment for depression includes:
- Self-help: Regular exercise, getting enough sleep, and spending time with people you care about can improve depression symptoms.
- Counseling: Counseling or psychotherapy is talking with a mental health professional. Your counselor helps you address your problems and develop coping skills. Sometimes brief therapy is all you need. Other people continue therapy longer.
- Alternative medicine: People with mild depression or ongoing symptoms can improve their well-being with complementary therapy. Therapy may include massage, acupuncture, hypnosis and biofeedback.
- Medication: Prescription medicine called antidepressants can help change brain chemistry that causes depression. Antidepressants can take a few weeks to have an effect. Some antidepressants have side effects, which often improve with time. If they dont, talk to your provider. A different medications may work better for you.
- Brain stimulation therapy: Brain stimulation therapy can help people who have severe depression or depression with psychosis. Types of brain stimulation therapy include electroconvulsive therapy , transcranial magnetic stimulation and vagus nerve stimulation .
Brain Regions And Mood
Popular lore has it that emotions reside in the heart. Science, though, tracks the seat of your emotions to the brain. Certain areas of the brain help regulate mood. Researchers believe that more important than levels of specific brain chemicals nerve cell connections, nerve cell growth, and the functioning of nerve circuits have a major impact on depression.
Increasingly sophisticated forms of brain imaging such as positron emission tomography , single-photon emission computed tomography , and functional magnetic resonance imaging permit a much closer look at the working brain than was possible in the past. An fMRI scan, for example, can track changes that take place when a region of the brain responds during various tasks. A PET or SPECT scan can map the brain by measuring the distribution and density of neurotransmitter receptors in certain areas.
Use of this technology has led to a better understanding of which brain regions regulate mood and how other functions, such as memory, may be affected by depression. Areas that play a significant role in depression are the amygdala, the thalamus, and the hippocampus .
Figure 1: Areas of the brain involved with depression
The regions shown here are mirrored in both hemispheres of the brain. Also, these structures are interlocking the illustration suggests relative position but not precise location.
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How It All Fits Together
Getting a diagnosis of depression is a multi-step process that often begins when someone notices they do not feel quite like themselves. In some cases, a person’s friends and family may notice the subtle signs of depression first and encourage them to seek treatment.
While it’s vital to work with a qualified medical and mental health professionals who can diagnose and treat depression, you might find it helpful to use patient-friendly online screening tools or quizzes to help assess your symptoms. Having this information on hand when you go to your doctor might make it easier to talk about how you’re feeling.
Clinicians also use screening tools, questionnaires, and other tests to assess someone for depression. Many of these scales and checklists are similar, if not the same, as those patients can access online. What’s important to remember is that doctors and mental health professionals are specially trained to administer and interpret the results.
After evaluating someone’s symptoms and comparing them to the diagnostic criteria for major depression laid out by the DSM-5, a provider might decide a person needs additional testing to rule out other possible causes for their symptoms .
The updated DSM-5 introduced several subtle, but important, changes to the way doctors, mental health providers, and researchers approach depression.
How Do Sleep Problems Relate To Depression
Most people with depression have sleep problems of some sort. It’s so common in fact that many doctors hesitate to diagnose depression in people who don’t report sleep problems.
It goes the other way, too. Not only does depression often cause sleep troubles, but sleep troubles can also cause depression. This can make it hard for you or your doctor to figure out which problem came first.
These are the most common sleep problems linked to depression:
Insomnia. This is when you have trouble either falling asleep or staying asleep long enough to get proper rest. Short-term insomnia lasts a few days or weeks. Most often, stress causes it. Chronic insomnia brings this kind of sleep trouble three or more times a week for 3 months or longer.
Hypersomnia. It’s when you’re often very tired during the day. You may feel an overwhelming need to nap at unusual times like at a meal, at work, or during a conversation. You may sleep for long hours and find it hard to wake up. You may also feel anxious, irritable, low energy, and foggy when you’re awake.
Obstructive sleep apnea. With this condition, heavy snoring cuts off your breathing when you sleep. This can wake you up, sometimes many times a night. Though you might not remember waking up, you may be groggy and grouchy the next day from lack of sleep. Excess body weight can lead to sleep apnea, but there are other causes too. A doctor can test to see if you have it and help you manage and treat it.
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