Who Is At Risk For Depression
Depression can affect anyone, no matter their age, gender or circumstances. About 16 million Americans experience depression each year.
Women may experience depression more often than men. And your genetics or other health conditions can increase the likelihood that youll have at least one depressive episode in your lifetime.
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.
Depression Doesn’t Always Have A Good Reason
Sometimes people become depressed for what seems like a “good” reasonmaybe they lost their job or a family member passed away. However, with clinical depression, there doesn’t necessarily have to be a reason for how you feel.
In fact, 16 million adults have depression without experiencing a negative event or facing some type of life change. This can lead to reduced compassion from others, simply because they don’t understand that depression can exist without a trigger or external stressor.
One explanation for this is that depression has been linked to an imbalance in the neurotransmitters that help regulate moods. The theory is that having too much or too little of these chemical messengers can cause depression.
So, the brain chemicals that are responsible for your mood may be out of balance, causing you to feel bad even when everything in your life is seemingly going well.
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Antenatal And Postnatal Depression
Women are at an increased risk of depression during pregnancy and in the year following childbirth . This time frame may also be referred to as the perinatal period.
The causes of depression at this time can be complex and are often the result of a combination of factors. In the days immediately following birth, many women experience the baby blues, which is a common condition related to hormonal changes, affecting up to 80 per cent of women who have given birth.
The baby blues, or the general stress of adjusting to pregnancy or a new baby, are common experiences, but are different from depression.
Depression is longer lasting and can affect not only the mother, but her relationship with her baby, the childs development, the mothers relationship with her partner and with other members of the family.
Up to one in 10 women will experience depression during pregnancy. This increases to 16 per cent in the first three months after having a baby.
When Does Depression Affect Me
Depression can happen at any time. But there are times when you may be more likely to develop depression.
Depression can start when you are very upset or under a lot of stress. For example, it can start when you lose a loved one or move to a new city.
Depression can go along with another health problem. The signs of depression can add to health problems, and other health problems can add to depression.
There are also two types of depression that start to affect you at specific times. These types of depression are:
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Depression that starts around the time you or your partner gives birth to a baby. It is called postpartum depression.
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Depression that happens at certain times of the year. Many people with this type find that depression affects them in the winter. It is called seasonal affective disorder.
It is important to remember that you cannot give yourself depression. It is not your fault.
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Mental Health Conditions: Depression And Anxiety
Depression is more than just feeling down or having a bad day. When a sad mood lasts for a long time and interferes with normal, everyday functioning, you may be depressed. Symptoms of depression include:1
- Feeling sad or anxious often or all the time
- Not wanting to do activities that used to be fun
- Feeling irritable easily frustrated or restless
- Having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep
- Waking up too early or sleeping too much
- Eating more or less than usual or having no appetite
- Experiencing aches, pains, headaches, or stomach problems that do not improve with treatment
- Having trouble concentrating, remembering details, or making decisions
- Feeling tired even after sleeping well
- Feeling guilty, worthless, or helpless
- Thinking about suicide or hurting yourself
The following information is not intended to provide a medical diagnosis of major depression and cannot take the place of seeing a mental health professional. If you think you are depressed talk with your doctor or a mental health professional immediately. This is especially important if your symptoms are getting worse or affecting your daily activities.
The exact cause of depression is unknown. It may be caused by a combination of genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological factors.2 Everyone is different but the following factors may increase a persons chances of becoming depressed:1
What Are Symptoms Stay
Its clear that stay-at-home moms may experience a range of mental health conditions, but what exactly does that look like? Both Poole and Wright say that the way symptoms manifest can vary depending on both the person and the mental health condition. As Poole previously explained, a stay-at-home mom experiencing burnout may:
- Struggle to get out of bed
- Daydream about escaping motherhood
A stay-at-home mom experiencing depression may further isolate herself , explains Wright.
Someone experiencing anxiety may become hyper vigilant about anything related to the household or children in some cases, anxiety can lead to obsessive compulsive behavior, Wright continues. Depression or anxiety can also lead to substance abuse, she says.
You Deserve To Be Happy
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What Are The Three Ways To Help Treat Depression
Cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, and psychodynamic therapy are three of the most widely used methods of treatment for depression. It is common to employ a blended approach.
It may appear impossible to recover and regain energy, hope, and interest in life when you are suffering from depression. Your actions and small goals can serve as a guide as you begin the process of recovery from depression. Depression can be treated with a variety of medications and therapy, in addition to medication and therapy.
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Exercise Is Powerful Medicine For Depression
By now, most people have heard that exercise is good for their health.
A new review suggests it can it also make a difference in major depressive disorder.
Researchers analyzed 15 existing studies with data on exercise and depression, finding an association between physical activity and depression risk. The investigators estimated that almost 12% of cases of depression could have been prevented with a certain amount of exercise.
It didnt take much.
Physical activity was associated with significant mental health benefits, even when someone wasnt exercising as hard or as often as public health recommendations, according to the researchers, led by Soren Brage and James Woodcock, from the University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine in England.
People engaging in brisk walking for 2.5 hours a week had a lower risk of depression than those who didnt exercise at all, the study found.
Any movement, every movement, every step counts. It doesnt have to be as much as you need for physical health. You can get by with half of that, and this is very consistent with the literature, said Jennifer Heisz, a neuroscientist who was not involved in this study.
Heisz is an associate professor in the Department of Kinesiology at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada.
The 15 studies analyzed for this new paper included more than 191,000 participants in all.
Estimating the dose of exercise needed can be challenging, the authors said.
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Where Can I Find Clinical Trials For Depression
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 the National Institute of Mental Health 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 NIMH’s clinical trials information.
How Is Depression Treated
Depression is among the most treatable of mental disorders. Between 80% and 90% percent of people with depression eventually respond well to treatment. Almost all patients gain some relief from their symptoms.
Before a diagnosis or treatment, a health professional should conduct a thorough diagnostic evaluation, including an interview and a physical examination. In some cases, a blood test might be done to make sure the depression is not due to a medical condition like a thyroid problem or a vitamin deficiency . The evaluation will identify specific symptoms and explore medical and family histories as well as cultural and environmental factors with the goal of arriving at a diagnosis and planning a course of action.
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Sometimes Bad Feelings Can Actually Be Useful
Posted June 12, 2011
Joan* was miserable. In the mornings she dragged herself out of bed to put breakfast on the table for her three children. She didn’t have the energy to cook, but she knew the importance of a good meal to begin the day, so she managed to put out cereal, milk, fruit and toast. When they were all picked up by their various school buses and carpools, she managed to put the milk back in the fridge, so that it would not spoil. But she left the dirty dishes and cereal boxes on the table, the spilled cereal and toast crumbs on the floor, and stumbled back to bed.
“Something’s wrong,” her mother told her. “You must be sick. This isn’t like you. Do you want me to come take you to the doctor?”
Joan did not want to go to the doctor. She didn’t want to go anywhere. She wasn’t even sure that she could find the energy to get dressed for an appointment. But with her mother’s encouragement, she did go. The doctor asked a number of questions, took blood, and did a variety of tests. There was nothing wrong with Joan physically. The diagnosis was depression, and the doctor suggested she see a psychiatrist for medication. “I could give it to you,” she said, “but I think it would be smarter to see someone who is a specialist, who can fine tune the prescription.
A Critical Look At The Concept Of Depression
Posted September 29, 2013
Most people think of depression as a mental disorder, that is, a biological illness of the brain. Here I argue that the concept of depression as a mental disorder has been unhelpfully overextended to include all manner of human suffering, and, more controversially, that depression’ can even be good for usan idea that I first visited in my book The Meaning of Madness.
In modern societies such as the UK and the USA, people talk about depression more readily and more easily. As a result, they are more likely to interpret their distress in terms of depression, and also more likely to seek out a diagnosis of the illness. At the same time, groups with vested interests such as pharmaceutical companies and mental health experts promote the notion of saccharine happiness as a natural, default state, and of human distress as a mental disorder. The concept of depression as a mental disorder may be useful for the more severe and intractable cases treated by hospital psychiatrists, but probably not for the majority of cases, which, for the most part, are mild and short-lived and easily interpreted in terms of life circumstances, human nature, or the human condition.
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Different Types Of Depression
There are different types of depression, and there are some conditions where depression is a symptom. These conditions include:
- Bipolar disorder people with bipolar disorder, which is also known as “manic depression”, experience times of depression, where the symptoms are similar to clinical depression. They also go through phases when they have excessively high moods . Bouts of mania can include harmful behaviour like unsafe sex, spending sprees and gambling.
- Seasonal affective disorder is also called “winter depression”. It’s depression that is related to weather, usually winter, so it happens seasonally.
- Postnatal depression happens to some women after they’ve had a baby. It’s treated similarly to other types of depression, with antidepressant medication and talking therapy.
Learn more about how depression is diagnosed here.
Many Factors Can Cause Depression
The cause of depression isn’t always completely understood, and many believe that this mental health condition is often the result of a combination of factors. The many causes of depression can include:
Other potential causes of depression include the presence of a physical health condition that often co-occurs with this diseasesuch as cancer, diabetes, or Parkinson’sor taking medications that have depression as a side effect.
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Symptoms And Causes Of Depression
Symptoms of depression can be very different from person to person. However, as a general rule, if you are depressed you feel hopeless, sad and lacking interest in things that used to make you feel happy.
Depression symptoms are bad enough to interfere with work, social life and family life, and can persist for weeks or months.
Doctors describe depression in one of three ways, depending on how serious it is:
- mild depression it has some impact on daily life
- moderate depression it has a significant impact on your daily life
- severe depression this makes it nearly impossible to get through your life day to day
A few people with severe depression may have symptoms of psychotic depression.
Below is a list of depression symptoms it’s unlikely that one person would have all of them.
What Are The Different Antidepressants And How Do They Work
- SSRI This category of drug includes fluoxetine , citalopram , and sertraline and targets serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps control mood, appetite, and sleep.
- SNRI SNRIs include drugs like duloxetine , desvenlafaxine , and venlafaxine , which block the reabsorption of both serotonin and another neurotransmitter, norepinephrine.
- NDRI This class of medications includes bupropion.
- TCA TCAs include such drugs as imipramine and nortriptyline . These drugs were among the earliest antidepressants to come on the market. These days, doctors generally only turn to them when treatment with SSRIs, SNRIs, and NDRIs has failed.
- MAOI MAOIs, including phenelzine and isocarboxazid , were the first antidepressants developed. Theyre rarely used today, in part because people who take them require careful monitoring to prevent negative interactions with certain foods and other medications.
All antidepressants can have side effects, but some may be more problematic than others. You may need to try several different medications, or a combination, guided by your doctor, before you find what works best for you.
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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.
Try A Mediterranean Diet For B Vitamins
A Spanish study found that rates of depression tended to rise in men — especially smokers — as they got less folate. The same thing happened for women — especially those who smoked or didn’t exercise — but when they got less vitamin B12.
This wasn’t the first study to find a link between these vitamins and depression. Researchers aren’t sure which way the influence goes: do poor nutrient levels lead to depression, or does depression lead people to eat poorly?
In either case, you can get both of these B vitamins from foods in a Mediterranean diet. Legumes, nuts, many fruits, and dark green vegetables have folate. Vitamin B12 can be found in all lean and low-fat animal products, such as fish and low-fat dairy products.
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Does Depression Make You Better In Any Way
As you can clearly see, romanticizing depression and overvaluing it will work against you and make you more depressed.
So before you create a list of thoughtful, intelligent people who struggled with depression , appreciate that their depression is not what made them special, wonderful, admirable, intelligent people.
Take away their depression, and they would still be special, wonderful, admirable, intelligent people.
Similarly, depression is not anything that makes you more special, wonderful, admirable, or intelligent in any way. If you have those qualities, take away your depression, and you will still be special, wonderful, admirable, and intelligent.
Indeed, appreciate that you can be a very smart, thoughtful, profound, authentic, considerate, special, happy person, and being depressed would not add any positive value to your life, or make you a better human being in any way.
Instead, it would only alert you that you could improve your thinking and lifestyle in some way. And thats all it would do for you.