Some People Are More At Risk Than Others
Genetics, upbringing, environment, hormones, and brain chemistry can all increase our risk of developing this mental illness.
It can be passed down from generation to generation. Closer relatives of people with depression have a higher risk of getting it themselves. Stressful or traumatic childhoods contribute to risk, as well as disruptions in our hormones. Neurotransmitters, the chemicals our brains use to communicate, can change and lead to depression. Its almost impossible to identify any one single cause in most cases of depression.
Things You May Not Know About The Great Depression
Posted by Ben Carlson
The Great Financial Crisis was the worst economic and market meltdown weve experienced in a generation. But compared to the Great Depression, it was a walk in the park. Heres the breakdown:
In 1938, six years after the end of the Great Depression, the unemployment rate was still as high as 20%. Six years after the Great Recession, the unemployment rate was just over 5%.
That period in time fascinates me to no end because I cant imagine what it would have been like to live through .
Im late to this but I finally got around to reading John Kenneth Galbraiths book on this period, The Great Crash 1929. This book was amazing, in part because Galbraith is such a talented writer, but also because of the information gleaned.
Here are 10 things from this book that you may not have known about the Great Depression:
1. There was no huge uptick in suicides following the market crash. The assumption is there were a large number of stock market traders who took their own lives following the crash. This is a myth. Here are the numbers for New York City by year showing no noticeable uptick:
2. Economists knew very little back then. Economists were given a black eye following the latest recession because so few saw the downturn coming but economists knew even less back then:
Secretary of the Treasury Andrew Mellons advice was to liquidate labor, liquidate stocks, liquidate the farmers, liquidate real estate. Not exactly the best remedy during a depression.
Depression Isnt Always Cuts And Pill Bottles
Not everyone who has depression tries to harm themselves and its important to understand this. Its not always the person who is full of sadness. It can simply be your happiest friend or loved one. Depression is shown differently in each person so always be kind to anyone you come across.
Depression is also overeating or not eating at all. Being emotionally attached and distant at the same time. Frequent sleepless nights with cold pillows. Staying in bed for 6+ hours a day believing that is normal. Cracking jokes and laughing 24/7.
Also Check: Talking To Someone With Depression
They Need Your Help To Love Themselves
We know just how precious our teens are. Especially at this age, we marvel how God created their innermost parts in the womb. The color of their eyes, their spunk, their talents, and personality. We have the incredible privilege of watching them grow into young adults. Research shows teens who have self-compassion and learn to love themselves the way God created them are better prepared to handle mental health pressures. As silly as it sounds, I still have my kids stand in front of a mirror and repeat affirmations: God created me with love. I am deeply loved. I am strong. I can do all things through Christ, etc.
Mild And Moderate Depression
These are the most common types. More than simply feeling blue, the symptoms of mild depression can interfere with your daily life, robbing you of joy and motivation. Those symptoms become amplified in moderate depression and can lead to a decline in confidence and self-esteem.
Recurrent, mild depression
Dysthymia is a type of chronic low-grade depression. More days than not, you feel mildly or moderately depressed, although you may have brief periods of normal mood.
- The symptoms of dysthymia are not as strong as the symptoms of major depression, but they last a long time .
- Some people also experience major depressive episodes on top of dysthymia, a condition known as double depression.
- If you suffer from dysthymia, you may feel like youve always been depressed. Or you may think that your continuous low mood is just the way you are.
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If You See Signs Of Your Loved Ones Behaviour Change You Should Consider Depression To Be One Of The Causes
It might get really difficult to understand if a teenager is only acting out because of the hormones, or out of depression. Being a teenager is really difficult as it is theres immense peer pressure that has the power to shape their views and opinions. Depression can make a teenager angry, overly rebellious, and have them throw tantrums. Not to mention their grades being affected, and their overall behaviour towards other people changing drastically.
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Yes, depression can have staggering effects on the brain, and make people function differently overall. This short video explains how.
They keep telling themselves that they dont need anyones help, mainly because they dont want to be a burden on anyone. This stems from the fact that they feel worthless more often than not, and statements like these are very common among depressed people.
Things To Know About Depression
Emotional
Have you ever noticed there are certain words that get overused and tend to lose their meaning? Think of the word love. People say things like, I love those shoes, or I love that lamp, but come onhow can you love a lamp?
The same is true for the word depressed. Its common for someone who is having a bad day or whose favorite sports team lost to say theyre depressed. But, depression itself is much deeper and real than some passing mood.
In a recent article titled 6 Things I Didnt Know About Depression Until It Happened To Me, three people diagnosed with depression share insights on what theyve learned about this medical condition. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with depression, you may find these six things very helpful:
Going Deeper
If you or someone you know may be struggling with depression, help is just a phone call away.
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There Are Many Different Types Of Depression
Depression comes in many forms and can affect people of all ages, genders, races, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Knowing some of the different types of depression is beneficial in understanding if there have been events or situations that may have caused itand if you should reach out for help.
There are a number of common types of depression.
Helpful Things To Know About Depression
Rane Wallace, MS, LPC, LCDC, SAP
In this article, Ill define what depression is and summarize the most common type of depression, major depressive disorder. Ill provide you with a list of symptoms of depression, so you know what to look out for. After reading this article, youll have a better understanding of what depression is and what it looks like.
Recommended Reading: How Can You Be Diagnosed With Depression
What Are The Treatments For Depression
Many helpful treatments for depression are available. Treatment for depression can help reduce symptoms and shorten how long the depression lasts. Treatment can include getting therapy and/or taking medications. Your doctor or a qualified mental health professional can help you determine what treatment is best for you.
- Therapy. Many people benefit from psychotherapyalso called therapy or counseling.7,8 Most therapy lasts for a short time and focuses on thoughts feelings and issues that are happening in your life now. In some cases understanding your past can help but finding ways to address what is happening in your life now can help you cope and prepare you for challenges in the future.With therapy, youll work with your therapist to learn skills to help you cope with life, change behaviors that are causing problems and find solutions. Do not feel shy or embarrassed about talking openly and honestly about your feelings and concerns. This is an important part of getting better.Some common goals of therapy include:
- Getting healthier
- Making sense of past painful events
- Identifying things that worsen your depression
- Having better relationships with family and friends
- Understanding why something bothers you and creating a plan to deal with it
Why Anxiety And Depression In Teens Are Rising
The teenâs anxiety and depression are rising due to many reasons.
- First, they donât have quality time at home and parents are busy in their work and kids are neglected. And then, eventually, kids caught up with depression and with time, it becomes anxiety. Thatâs why itâs necessary to create a homely atmosphere around and prepare the kids comfortable to listen and pass along with their siblings and parents as well.
- Secondly, the reason behind depression and anxiety may be the hormonal imbalance. When children reach the age of adolescence, there are changes in hormones, and again parents should teach their kids about this stage so that they feel comfortable and accept the changes with confidence.
- Personality disorder comes with persistent depression, and parents should educate their children about the self-struggle mechanism to protect themselves from any bad feelings.
- The children should be strong enough and must have the patience to suffer bullying and any other harmful impacts. So, they must be an excellent speaker to share everything with their family, and parents need to develop a healthy relationship for avoiding any inconvenience.
Recommended Reading: Signs You Need Depression Medication
Feeling Better Doesnt Mean Its Over
Some people will have depression only for a short time. But for many, depression is a long-term illness. You might feel good for months or years, and then suffer from a depressive period again.
âItâs a chronic condition, just like diabetes,â Walch says. âYou donât just stop taking insulin because your blood sugar numbers are good. In the same way, you donât abruptly stop taking medication or seeing your therapist because your mood has improved.â Instead, staying on top of depression involves working with your mental health team and taking care of yourself, even during âgood times.â
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How Do I Know If Its Depression
You often know when you feel upset, down, and sad. But if you feel this way often, you may start to wonder if you are struggling with depression.
A key indicator of a depressive episode is if sadness has lasted more than two weeks. Most people have ups and downs in their lives and have happy times to compensate for times that are not so great.
Depression has physical, emotional, and mental symptoms. While some people experience only one depression episode in their lives, these symptoms occur most days and over prolonged periods of time.
To be clinically diagnosed, someone must experience five or more of the following symptoms during the same two-week period. At least one of the symptoms must be either a depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure.
Some of the mental and emotional symptoms of depression include:
- Feeling hopeless
- Being underweight
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What Does Depression Look Like
Well raise your question with a few Qs of our own: Are you female? Are you a teen? Depression can also affect different ages and genders in unique ways:
Women are more likely to ruminate . This can look like negative self-talk, sudden crying spells, feelings of guilt, or blaming oneself. Women are also more likely to have depression at the same time as an anxiety disorder, such as panic disorder, eating disorder, or obsessive-compulsive behavior.
Men with depression are more likely to show signs of irritability, anger, apathy, escapist behavior , or reckless behavior .
Younger people can struggle with depression and MDD . Children and teens may sometimes exhibit oversensitivity, social withdrawal, poor school performance, frequent physical complaints , or feelings of incompetence and despair .
Older adults and the elderly are often misdiagnosed or undertreated for depression because their symptoms can be mistaken for other disorders , or they may assume their feelings are just an inevitable part of aging. For many, sadness isnt the biggest indicator of depression instead, physical complaints are often the predominant symptom. Sleep trouble, low motivation, neglect of personal care or hygiene, and fixation on death are other signs of depression in older adults.
There Are Many Options For Treating Depression
Depending on the severity and cause of the depression, different treatment methods are available, which are research-based and provided by mental health professionals. However, recovery takes time and will involve lots of ups and downs.
Many people who have recovered from depression describe a number of changes that have helped them, from physical exercise , to making art or playing music, to using psychological therapies. In some cases, a doctor might prescribe medication to help manage severe symptoms.
It’s important that you feel comfortable with the mental health professional you choose to work with. Some people need to meet a few people before they find the one who is the right fit for them. While getting support can be daunting, it can really help you to manage depression. The sooner this happens, the sooner you can start feeling more like yourself again.
Also Check: How Can I Treat My Depression
Many Of Us Will Go Through Depression At Some Point
In the past 120 years or so, weve been seeing rates of this mental illness rising. As of now, we estimate that about 1/6 people in the world will experience depression at some point during their lifetimes. There are many reasons why these rates are on the rise. One of which, is that were getting a lot better at picking up on it. People meet with healthcare professionals more frequently than in the past and are more aware. Also, public education about depression helps encourage people to open up about their mental health symptoms. Today, depressive disorders are the number one reason people seek out professional help with their mental illness. It also contributes to the sickest days from school and work. If youre going through this mental illness, chances are someone you know has been through it too.
No One Chooses To Have Depression
People don’t choose to be depressed, in the same way that people don’t choose to have cancer. So, telling a person with depression to cheer up or to snap out of it can be harmful and can leave them feeling more isolated. Depression is associated with complex social, biological and cultural factors that cant be wished away.
Recommended Reading: Mood Tracker App For Depression
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 close friend passed awaybut with clinical depression, there doesn’t necessarily have to be a reason for how you feel. The chemicals in the brain that are responsible for mood control may be out of balance causing you to feel bad even though everything in your life is going well.
Depression Is More Common In Women
According to Greden, the risk of depression for boys and girls is almost identical, but after puberty, the risk for girls is about double that of boys.
Could this possibly mean hormones are to blame?
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We dont know the answer to that, but it seems that when people reach puberty, biological changes place girls at greater risk for depression, Greden says, adding that those increased odds persist until menopause. Some women who have clinical depression are prone to have their worst episodes at premenstrual times, Greden notes.
Women are also more vulnerable to depression during and after pregnancy, says Dr. Drevets, who attributes this phenomenon to fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone. “These hormones have a major effect on brain function,” he notes.
“Janssen is actually studying perinatal depression, which is defined as depression during pregnancy and up to six months afterward, as part of our Disease Interception Accelerator program, which investigates how to identify and address root causes of certain diseases,” Dr. Drevets says.
The hope: offer mothers solutions before they and their babies are affected.
Recommended Reading: Natural Medication For Anxiety And Depression
What Is The Link Between Smoking And Mental Health Conditions
Smoking is much more common among adults with mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety, than in the general population.6 About 3 out of every 10 cigarettes smoked by adults in the United States are smoked by persons with mental health conditions.6 Why smokers are more likely than nonsmokers to experience depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions is uncertain. More research is needed to determine this. No matter the cause smoking is not a treatment for depression or anxiety. Getting help for your depression and anxiety and quitting smoking is the best way to feel better.
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