How Can You Know If You Are Depressed

How Is Depression Treated

The first step to getting treatment is to see your GP. If your GP thinks you have depression, they will talk to you about the treatments they can offer.

What are talking therapies?

Talking therapy is a general term to describe any psychological therapy that involves talking. You may also hear the terms counselling or psychotherapy used to describe talking therapy.

Therapy should offer you a safe, confidential place to talk about your life and anything confusing, painful or uncomfortable. It allows you to talk with someone who is trained to listen attentively and to help you improve things.

Talking therapy often takes place face to face. But you may also be able to have therapy over the phone, by video call or online. There are different types of talking therapy that you might be offered. These include:

• cognitive-behavioural therapy,
• mindfulness based therapy, and
• counselling.

The type of therapy you are offered will depend on the cause of your symptoms and their severity. Therapies may also have different levels based on how long or intense the treatment is.

Ask your GP about therapy if you think it might help. Some of these therapies will be available in your area. Some areas offer a self-referral option for NHS talking therapies. Please refer to your local Improving Access to Psychological Therapies service to find out about this option.

You may also be able to access therapy privately or through your employer in an Employee Assistance Programme.

How can exercise help?

Who Is This Depression Quiz For

Below is a list of 10 questions designed to help you determine if you might be experiencing depression. The questions relate to life experiences common among people who have depression. Please read each question carefully, and indicate how often you have experienced the same or similar challenges in the past few weeks.

How To Tell If You Have Clinical Depression

Clinical depression affects people in different ways.

The symptoms of clinical depression can be complex and vary from person-to-person.

Generally, if you have clinical depression:

• you feel sad, hopeless and lose interest in things you used to enjoy
• you experience these symptoms for at least 2 weeks
• the symptoms are serious enough to interfere with work, social life or family

There are many other symptoms of clinical depression and you’re unlikely to have them all.

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Causes Of Insomnia: Figuring Out Why You Cant Sleep

In order to properly treat and cure your insomnia, you need to become a sleep detective. Emotional issues such as stress, anxiety, and depression cause half of all insomnia cases. But your daytime habits, sleep routine, and physical health may also play a role. Try to identify all possible causes of your insomnia. Once you figure out the root cause, you can tailor treatment accordingly.

Depression Affects Each Woman Differently

Not every woman who is depressed experiences every symptom. Some women experience only a few symptoms. Others have many. The severity and frequency of symptoms, and how long they last, will vary depending on the individual and the severity of the illness.

Where Can I Learn More About Depression in Women?

The following agencies have additional information on depression in women.

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Depression In Women: 5 Things You Should Know

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Being sad is a normal reaction to difficult times in life. But usually, the sadness goes away with a little time. Depression is differentit is a mood disorder that may cause severe symptoms that can affect how you feel, think, and handle daily activities such as sleeping, eating, or working. Depression is more common among women than men, likely due to certain biological, hormonal, and social factors that are unique to women.

This brochure contains an overview of five things that everyone should know about depression in women.

Common Causes Of Depression

Scientists do not yet know the exact cause of depression. However, many experts think that several factors play a role in its onset, including:

• Genetics: Depression can run in families. Having a close relative with the condition can raise a persons risk for developing it themselves.
• Biological and chemical differences: Physical changes or chemical imbalances in the brain may contribute to the development of depression.
• Hormones: Hormonal changes or imbalances in the body may cause or trigger depression. For example, many women experience postpartum depression after giving birth.
• Trauma or stress: Periods of high stress, traumatic events, or major life changes can trigger an episode of depression in some people.
• Personality traits: Having low self-esteem or being pessimistic, for example, may increase the risk of depression.
• Other illnesses: Having another mental or physical health condition or taking certain medications can increase the risk of depression.

People who believe that they may have hidden depression should speak to their doctor or a mental health professional. These professionals can help make a diagnosis and recommend a course of treatment.

Other steps to treat depression might include:

Not everyone with depression will display the typical symptoms of sadness and despair.

Sometimes, the only signs a person may show are physical, such as fatigue, insomnia, or weight changes.

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Depression: Recognizing Unusual Symptoms

One reason depression can be hard to identify is that its signs can vary widely from person to person and sometimes be masked by atypical symptoms. For example, some people who are depressed may show it by acting disgruntled, resentful, or irritable. In fact, aggression including outright acts of violence can be indicative of hidden depression, according to a February 28, 2017, report in Psychiatric Times. Depression masquerading as anger may seem surprising at first, but not when you consider that several underlying factors, including alcohol or substance abuse and childhood trauma, have been linked to both.

Similarly, although its not clear why, a person who experiences anxiety is at high risk for developing depression, and vice versa. The National Alliance on Mental Illness reports that as many as 60 percent of people with anxiety will also have symptoms of depression the same goes for people with depression having . Experts say there is often a genetic predisposition for these co-occurring disorders.

Depression may also manifest psychosomatically, meaning that instead of presenting first and foremost as a mood disorder, the dominant symptom may be things like vague aches, dizziness, headaches, , or , according to the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. Complicating matters is that its often hard to know whether depression is causing the physical symptoms, or if the physical symptoms are causing depression.

Suicidal Thoughts: An Emergency

For people who are severely depressed, suicide is a real threat. Each year, about 30,000 people in the U.S. take their own lives, although the true number may be higher. Some suicides go unrecognized because they’re classified as accidents, drug overdoses, or shootings. Among people whose depression remains untreated, up to 15% will kill themselves.

What are the warning signs of suicide? According to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, they include:

• Talking about wanting to die or wanting to kill yourself
• Looking for a way to kill yourself, such as searching online for methods or buying a gun
• Talking about feeling hopeless or having no reason to live
• Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain
• Talking about being a burden to others
• Increasing use of alcohol or drugs
• Acting anxious or agitated behaving recklessly
• Sleeping too little or too much
• Withdrawing or feeling isolated
• Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge
• Displaying extreme mood swings

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Receive Treatment For Your Depression

If you believe you have depression, you are not alone. Since depression is a common condition, experts have developed multiple treatment options to help patients deal with a wide range of symptoms, life experiences, and barriers. The only way to know how to treat your depression is to speak with your doctor.

If you believe you have depression, schedule an appointment with a mental health professional as soon as possible. Your doctor can evaluate your condition, determine which treatment options are right for you, and develop a treatment plan to relieve your symptoms. Through this treatment, you can gain the skills and strategies you need to cope with difficult moments and restore your quality of life.

Changes In Appetite And Weight

Weight and appetite can fluctuate for people with depression. This experience may be different for each person. Some people will have an increased appetite and gain weight, while others wont be hungry and will lose weight.

One indication of whether dietary changes are related to depression is if theyre intentional or not. If theyre not, it may mean that theyre caused by depression.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .

People who die by suicide usually show symptoms first. Often people will talk about it or make a first attempt before succeeding in ending their life. If you think someone is at immediate risk of self-harm or hurting another person:

• Stay with the person until help arrives.
• Remove any guns, knives, medications, or other things that may cause harm.
• Listen, but dont judge, argue, threaten, or yell.

If you think someone is considering suicide, get help from a crisis or suicide prevention hotline. Try the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.

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Take The Depression Test

Depression strikes millions each year, often with debilitating consequences. This psychological disorder is so common that it is sometimes referred to as the “common cold” of mental health, with nearly 10% of the population suffering from a depressive disorder at any given time.

Depression has a high cure rate. Effective treatments exist to help bring people’s lives back under control. Yet tragically many people suffering from this illness go without diagnosis and treatment. This depression test is a tool that may help you recognize the symptoms of depression and decide to get help. Please note that only a licensed professional can diagnose depression.

Am I Depressed Or Just Lazy

In order to answer this question, you need to develop a better understanding about the signs related to both problems.

You’re lazy if you know you can do something but don’t do it because of the effort involved. Instead of doing that task, you prefer not to do anything or do some less strenuous activity.

You’re depressed if you develop a bleak outlook and start to think that nothing will ever get better in life. You will also lose interest in your daily activities, pastimes and hobbies. Here are some other common signs and symptoms of depression:

• You will lose your appetite or notice sudden increase in it. This will lead to significant weight gain or weight loss.
• You will notice sleep changes, such as insomnia or hypersomnia.
• You will feel irritable and restless. Your tolerance level will decrease and you may even become violent at times.
• You will feel sluggish, fatigued and physically drained.
• You will develop strong feels of guilt or worthlessness.
• You are more likely to engage in escapist behavior such as compulsive gambling, substance abuse, dangerous sports or reckless driving.
• You will develop concentration problems and have trouble in focusing and making decisions.
• You will notice unexplained pains and aches, including backache, headache, etc.

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Dont Feel Like Working Out Go For A Brisk Walk Around The Block

Exercise is a natural mood booster. When you exercise, your body produces endorphins, which make you feel happy. Still, its tough to feel motivated to work out when you have anxiety or depression. Gyms can also trigger anxiety and fear.

What should you do? If you dont feel like working out, just go for a walk around your neighborhood. The important thing is to get your body moving.

How To Tell If You Have Depression

Depression affects people in different ways and can cause a wide variety of symptoms.

They range from lasting feelings of unhappiness and hopelessness, to losing interest in the things you used to enjoy and feeling very tearful. Many people with depression also have symptoms of anxiety.

There can be physical symptoms too, such as feeling constantly tired, sleeping badly, having no appetite or sex drive, and various aches and pains.

The symptoms of depression range from mild to severe. At its mildest, you may simply feel persistently low in spirit, while severe depression can make you feel suicidal, that life is no longer worth living.

Most people experience feelings of stress, anxiety or low mood during difficult times. A low mood may improve after a short period of time, rather than being a sign of depression.

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How Long Does It Take To Diagnose Depression

It can take weeks after depression begins before it is diagnosed. This is partly because people may be resistant to ask for help, says Rudy Nydegger, PhD, Professor Emeritus of psychology and management at Union College and chief in the Division of Psychology at Ellis Hospital, both in Schenectady, New York.

When a primary care doctor is looking into whether a person is depressed, they may initially think the symptoms could be caused by a physical illness, Nydegger explains. Often, a primary care doctor may be looking at the persons medications or whether something is going on physiologically, he says. They are trying to rule out medical causes as the reason for the symptoms, which is appropriate, but then it can take longer to get a diagnosis.

Signs You Could Be Depressed Without Knowing It

01 – Dec – 2020 Navarro Medical

Did you know you could be suffering from depression without feeling sad? Mental health is a concern anytime, but especially during an isolating pandemic like COVID-19. Be sure to speak with your physician right away if you have any of these warning signs.

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Can You Inherit Depression

Genetic factors do play a role in depression, but so do biological, environmental, and psychological factors.2 Unipolar depression is less likely to be inherited than Bipolar disorder , says Steven Hollon, PhD, of Brentwood, Tennessee, a professor of psychology at Vanderbilt University.

While depression does tend to run in families, just because a family member has depression does not mean you are going to get it, says Rudy Nydegger, PhD, Professor Emeritus of psychology and management at Union College and chief in the Division of Psychology at Ellis Hospital, both in Schenectady, New York. It is not a simple gene thing, he says. And the important thing is not so much why a person has depression but what are we going to do to help them.

Dealing With The Winter Blues

The reduced daylight hours of winter lead to a form of depression known as seasonal affective disorder . Women are diagnosed with SAD at four times the rate of men. SAD can make you feel like a completely different person to who you are in the summer: hopeless, sad, tense, or stressed, with no interest in friends or activities you normally love. No matter how bad you feel, though, there are plenty of things you can do to keep your mood stable throughout the year.

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Feeling Depressed Or Suffering From Depression

We often get mixed up between low mood and unhappiness and depression. The two things are very different. Depression isnt about feeling unhappy, its feeling youll never be happy again, explains Colin Grange, Psychologist and Clinical Director of Lifeworks.

If youre feeling low, is it starting to interfere with your day to day life? Are you not doing things that you used to do? Are you losing motivation in and enjoyment of life? Are you starting to not enjoy your hobbies? Is everything becoming an effort?

People suffering from clinical depression often experience a range of symptoms both physical and emotional which can interfere with day to day life. Discovering whether you are suffering from one or more of these symptoms could be an important step towards getting the help you need.

Quiz: Am I depressed?

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What To Do When Insomnia Wakes You Up In The Middle Of The Night

Many people with insomnia are able to fall asleep at bedtime, but then wake up in the middle of the night. They then struggle to get back to sleep, often lying awake for hours. If this describes you, the following tips may help.

Stay out of your head. Hard as it may be, try not to stress over your inability to fall back to sleep, because that stress only encourages your body to stay awake. To stay out of your head, focus on the feelings in your body or practice breathing exercises. Take a breath in, then breathe out slowly while saying or thinking the word, Ahhh. Take another breath and repeat.

Make relaxation your goal, not sleep. If you find it hard to fall back to sleep, try a relaxation technique such as visualization, progressive muscle relaxation, or meditation, which can be done without even getting out of bed. Even though its not a replacement for sleep, relaxation can still help rejuvenate your mind and body.

Do a quiet, non-stimulating activity. If youve been awake for more than 20 minutes, get out of bed and do a quiet, non-stimulating activity, such as reading a book. Keep the lights dim and avoid screens so as not to cue your body that its time to wake up.

Relaxation techniques that can help you get back to sleep

Mindfulness meditation. Sit or lie quietly and focus on your natural breathing and how your body feels in the moment. Allow thoughts and emotions to come and go without judgment, always returning to focus on breath and your body.

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