Is Depression A Mental Issue

Depression Is Different From Sadness Or Grief/bereavement

The death of a loved one, loss of a job or the ending of a relationship are difficult experiences for a person to endure. It is normal for feelings of sadness or grief to develop in response to such situations. Those experiencing loss often might describe themselves as being depressed.

But being sad is not the same as having depression. The grieving process is natural and unique to each individual and shares some of the same features of depression. Both grief and depression may involve intense sadness and withdrawal from usual activities. They are also different in important ways:

• In grief, painful feelings come in waves, often intermixed with positive memories of the deceased. In major depression, mood and/or interest are decreased for most of two weeks.
• In grief, self-esteem is usually maintained. In major depression, feelings of worthlessness and self-loathing are common.
• In grief, thoughts of death may surface when thinking of or fantasizing about joining the deceased loved one. In major depression, thoughts are focused on ending ones life due to feeling worthless or undeserving of living or being unable to cope with the pain of depression.

Grief and depression can co-exist For some people, the death of a loved one, losing a job or being a victim of a physical assault or a major disaster can lead to depression. When grief and depression co-occur, the grief is more severe and lasts longer than grief without depression.

Does Depression Change Your Personality

Research has turned up mixed results about whether or not depression can actually change a persons personality.

However, according to of 10 studies, depressive symptoms may be associated with changes in several specific aspects of personality including extraversion, neuroticism, and agreeableness which could be temporary or persistent.

Do I Need Health Insurance To Receive This Service

The referral service is free of charge. If you have no insurance or are underinsured, we will refer you to your state office, which is responsible for state-funded treatment programs. In addition, we can often refer you to facilities that charge on a sliding fee scale or accept Medicare or Medicaid. If you have health insurance, you are encouraged to contact your insurer for a list of participating health care providers and facilities.

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Helping A Suicidal Friend Or Relative

If you see any of the above warning signs:

• get professional help for the person
• let them know they’re not alone and that you care about them
• offer your support in finding other solutions to their problems

If you feel there is an immediate danger, stay with the person or have someone else stay with them, and remove all available means of committing suicide, such as medication.

Over-the-counter drugs such as painkillers can be just as dangerous as prescription medication.

Also, remove sharp objects and poisonous household chemicals such as bleach.

Causes & Risk Factors

There is no single cause of depression.

Potential triggers of depression include:

• genetic or family history of depression
• psychological or emotional vulnerability to depression
• biological factors such as imbalances in brain chemistry and in the endocrine/immune systems
• major stress in the person’s life.

Depression and physical illness

• the result of another illness that shares the same symptoms
• a reaction to another illness
• caused by neurological changes resulting from a physical illness .

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Who Is At Risk From Developing A Mental Disorder

At any one time, a diverse set of individual, family, community, and structural factors may combine to protect or undermine mental health. Although most people are resilient, people who are exposed to adverse circumstances including poverty, violence,disability, and inequality are at higher risk. Protective and risk factors include individual psychological and biological factors, such as emotional skills as well as genetics. Many of the risk and protective factors are influencedthrough changes in brain structure and/or function.

What Are The Symptoms Of Dysthymia

Symptoms of dysthymia include:

• Loss of interest in activities or the ability to enjoy oneself
• Excessive feelings of guilt or worthlessness
• Loss of energy or fatigue
• Difficulty concentrating, thinking or making decisions
• Changes in appetite
• Thoughts of death or suicide

Dysthymia differs from major depression in that dysthymia involves fewer of the above symptoms than occurs in major depression. To be diagnosed with dysthymia, symptoms must persist for at least two years in adults or one year in children or adolescents.

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My Sister Had A Baby A Couple Of Weeks Ago And I Can See Shes Not Herself And Is Hurting I Don’t Want To Offend Her By Suggesting She Get Help How Can I Help Her

When someone we love is suffering, it’s natural to want to give advice. And at the same time, we may fear that our unsolicited advice will put them on the defense. However, given that the risks for untreated peripartum depression are so great , it is crucial our loved one receive timely support. Some thoughts on how to help your sister: offer to spend time with her, let her take naps, join her for a walk, allow her to engage in self-care in the way she finds most effective .

Ask her how she is sleeping, and how her mood is. Let her know you are not judging her and you are there to help empathize, validate and normalize her experience. For example, you can say: I can only imagine what youre going through, or This must be a really rough time, or You are doing such a great job.

How The New Coronavirus Affects The Brain

Scientists now know that COVID-19 isnt just a respiratory illness but a disease that can reach many critical organs, including the brain.

Numerous reports show COVID-19 patients frequently experience neurological complications. such as confusion, dizziness, delirium, and other cognitive impairments.

Scientists are still working to understand how the novel coronavirus interacts with the central nervous system, but they suspect the new coronavirus may damage the brains blood supply and lead to swelling in the brain tissue.

If the virus directly impacts the central nervous system, this can result in significant neurological and psychiatric illness, says LeMonda.

Plus, an impaired respiratory system could diminish oxygen supply to the brain, LeMonda added.

In addition, Stern says theres a strong correlation between immunological functioning and mental health.

COVID-19 can disrupt a persons circadian rhythm, which can impair their sleep, lead to insomnia, and snowball into depression, anxiety, or other cognitive changes, Stern notes.

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Risk Factors For Depression

Depression can affect anyoneeven a person who appears to live in relatively ideal circumstances.

Several factors can play a role in depression:

• Biochemistry: Differences in certain chemicals in the brain may contribute to symptoms of depression.
• Genetics: Depression can run in families. For example, if one identical twin has depression, the other has a 70 percent chance of having the illness sometime in life.
• Personality: People with low self-esteem, who are easily overwhelmed by stress, or who are generally pessimistic appear to be more likely to experience depression.
• Environmental factors: Continuous exposure to violence, neglect, abuse or poverty may make some people more vulnerable to depression.

Icipating In Clinical Research

Clinical trials are research studies that look at new ways to prevent, detect, or treat diseases and conditions. Although individuals may benefit from being part of a clinical trial, participants should be aware that the primary purpose of a clinical trial is to gain new scientific knowledge so others may receive better help in the future.

Researchers at NIMH and around the country conduct many studies with patients and healthy volunteers. Talk to your health care provider about clinical trials, their benefits and risks, and whether one is right for you. For more information, visit NIMHs clinical trials webpage.

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What Risks And Complications Can Depression Cause

Having depression can cause other problems. It can affect your mental health as well as your physical health, and it may affect other areas of your life too. For example, depression may cause:

• disturbed sleep,
• difficulties with work and your hobbies,
• difficulties keeping contact with friends and families, or
• suicidal thoughts or thoughts of self-harming.

Some people might also drink more alcohol to try and relieve depression. However, as we said in the previous section above, this can actually make depression worse.

If you have any of these problems, speak to your GP.

Because The Two Are Used Interchangeably Warning Signs Are Often Overlooked

Mental health and mental illness are not the same thing.

According to the Centers for Disease Control , mental illness refers to conditions that affect a persons thinking, feeling, mood, or behavior. These can include but arent limited to depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia.

Mental health reflects our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Affecting how we think, feel, and act, mental health has a strong impact on the way we interact with others, handle problems, and make decisions.

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Depression Treatment Using Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy is also widely prescribed for people who are living with depression. Medication addresses only one aspect of depression. Even if medication helps people feel better, they still need to know what to do to keep their mood lifted. Practicing healthy behaviors can be engaging and require active participation to keep depression in check.

Cognitive behavioral therapy is a form of therapy that is commonly used in mental health treatment. During CBT sessions, participants are guided through exercises that help them identify and target negative thought patterns that can lead to depressive behavior. People learn about the link between thoughts and behavior and are encouraged to find solutions that help them work through adversity and bring about changes that are positive. Changing how one thinks can support efforts to manage depression.

Other therapies that can be used to treat depression include:

Interpersonal therapy : This short-term psychotherapy helps a person with depression focus on their interpersonal relationships and social interactions, per Verywell Mind. There are two forms of IPT. The first is dynamic interpersonal therapy, which helps people understand their thoughts and feelings and those of others. The second is metacognitive interpersonal therapy, which VeryWell Mind says is an integrative approach to address personality disorders with prominent emotional inhibition or avoidance.

Stranger Social And Intergroup Anxiety

Humans generally require social acceptance and thus sometimes dread the disapproval of others. Apprehension of being judged by others may cause anxiety in social environments.

Anxiety during social interactions, particularly between strangers, is common among young people. It may persist into adulthood and become social anxiety or social phobia. “” in small children is not considered a phobia. In adults, an excessive fear of other people is not a developmentally common stage it is called . According to Cutting, social phobics do not fear the crowd but the fact that they may be judged negatively.

varies in degree and severity. For some people, it is characterized by experiencing discomfort or awkwardness during physical social contact , while in other cases it can lead to a fear of interacting with unfamiliar people altogether. Those with this condition may restrict their lifestyles to accommodate the anxiety, minimizing social interaction whenever possible. Social anxiety also forms a core aspect of certain personality disorders, including .

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What About Other Mental Illnesses And Depression

ADHD causes high energy and impulsive behavior. You may not be able to focus as well as youâd like. About 1 in 3 people with ADHD also have depression or have had it in the past.

Sometimes it may be that you simply have both conditions. But in other cases, ADHD and its effects on your life are actually a cause of depression. And sometimes health care providers can misdiagnose depression in someone who simply has ADHD.

PTSD is when you have flashbacks, nightmares, or intrusive thoughts about a terrible event that you experienced. Think of the 9/11 terror attacks or a serious car accident or an act of violence.

Many people get past such events and are able to live healthy lives. People with PTSD may remain anxious and depressed for months or years afterward. Thatâs part of why PTSD often happens along with substance abuse, anxiety, and clinical depression.

Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder that makes people more afraid than is helpful in certain situations. You might have symptoms of a panic attack like nausea with fast breathing and heart rate. It can be especially bad in situations where thereâs no clear way to get away such as on public transportation or at a shopping mall. In serious cases, you might find it hard even to leave the house. Without treatment, agoraphobia can lead to depression.

American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM-V.

Fieve, R. Bipolar II, Rodale Books, 2006.

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Statistics Related To Mental Health Disorders

The following are the latest statistics available from the National Institute of Mental Health Disorders, part of the National Institutes of Health:

• Mental health disorders account for several of the top causes of disability in established market economies, such as the U.S., worldwide, and include: major depression , manic depression , schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

• An estimated 26% of Americans ages 18 and older about 1 in 4 adults suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year.

• Many people suffer from more than one mental disorder at a given time. In particular, depressive illnesses tend to co-occur with substance abuse and anxiety disorders.

• Approximately 9.5% of American adults ages 18 and over, will suffer from a depressive illness each year.

• Women are nearly twice as likely to suffer from major depression than men. However, men and women are equally likely to develop bipolar disorder.
• While major depression can develop at any age, the average age at onset is the mid-20s.
• With bipolar disorder, which affects approximately 2.6% of Americans age 18 and older in a given year the average age at onset for a first manic episode is during the early 20s.

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Other Causes Of Depression

There are a number of things that can lead to developing depression.

• Stressful events big changes in your life, like bereavement, the end of a relationship or the loss of a job, can be difficult to deal with. When these things happen, it’s important to keep seeing friends and family instead of trying to deal with problems alone this increases your risk of developing depression.
• Giving birth pregnancy and birth can make some people vulnerable to depression. Postnatal depression can happen as the result of physical changes, hormonal changes, and the responsibility of taking care of a new baby.
• Loneliness your risk of depression gets higher if you aren’t in contact or spending time with family and friends.
• Personality some personality traits can put you at a higher risk of developing depression. These include low-self esteem or a habit of criticising yourself too much. These personality traits can come from your genes, which you get from your parents, or they can be as a result of experiences in your early life.
• Family history it’s more likely for someone to develop depression if a family member, like a sibling or parent, has experienced it before.

Ways You Can Look After Yourself

If youre depressed, you can take steps to lift your mood and help your recovery. These steps can help if youve been depressed in the past and want to stay well.

• Talk about how youre feeling. Talking to someone you trust, or finding peer support, can help you feel better and less alone.
• Eat well. A healthy diet can lift your mood and maintain your mental health.
• Stay physically active. Exercise may feel like the last thing you want to do, but it can ease the symptoms of depression. Research suggests it may be as effective as antidepressants in helping you feel better.
• Spend time in nature. Research shows that being in nature can make us feel happier, feel our lives are more worthwhile, and reduce our levels of depression.
• Avoid cigarettes and alcohol. They may feel like theyre helping at first, but they make things worse in the long run.
• Consider mindfulness, a technique you can learn to fully engage in the present. Studies show it can help reduce the symptoms of depression.
• Try talking therapy to stay well. NICE guidelines recommend CBT or mindfulness-based cognitive therapy if youve been depressed in the past.

References:

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Help For Depression Can Begin Today At Vista Pines Health

Depression can be debilitating and hard to live with, but it is treatable, and you can get the treatment you need, and you dont have to do it alone. The team at Vista Pines Health can help you make a fresh start today. Our customized programs help many people get the help they need for treating mental health disorders.

We put our clients and their needs first and keep our clinician-to-patient ratio low so that we can give each client the attention and care they require. Our 20-bed facility in Pembroke Pines, Florida, provides the right setting for comfort and privacy.

We will evaluate your needs and let you know which psychotherapy and medication therapy are right for you. If you also have a substance use disorder, we can help you get the care you need for that, too. We share a campus with a facility in our network, Arete Recovery, which specializes in treating people with substance use disorders.

We want to learn more about how we can help you with your mental health needs. Call us today to learn more about our programs, your options, and more. The life you want is within reach, and depression does not have to stop you from attaining it. We will give you the tools and support you need to live a fulfilling life.