Seasonal Affective Disorder : Extreme Winter Weariness
Would you prefer to hibernate during the winter than face those cold, dreary days? Do you tend to gain weight, feel blue, and withdraw socially during the season?
You could be one of 4 to 6 percent of people in the United States estimated to have a depression type called seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. Though many people find themselves in winter funks, SAD is characterized by symptoms of anxiety, increased irritability, daytime fatigue, and weight gain. This type of depression typically occurs in winter climates, likely due to the lack of natural sunlight. “We don’t really know why some people are more sensitive to this reduction in light,” said Halaris. “Symptoms are usually mild, though they can be severe.”
This type of depression usually starts in early winter and lifts in the spring, and it can be treated with light therapy or artificial light treatment.
How Is Depression Syndrome Diagnosed
Everyone may feel sad or down from time to time. However, clinical depression has more intense symptoms that last two weeks or longer.
To determine whether you have clinical depression, your healthcare provider will ask questions. You may complete a questionnaire and provide a family history. Your healthcare provider may also perform an exam or order lab tests to see if you have another medical condition.
Can The Brain Repair Itself After Depression
A depressed persons brain does not function normally, but it can recover, according to a study published in the August 11 issue of Neurology, the American Academy of Neurologys scientific journal. Researchers measured the brains responsiveness using magnetic stimulation over the brain and targeted muscle movement.
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Depression Types Unique To Women
Although women are at higher risk for general depression, they are also at risk for two different depression types that are influenced by reproductive hormonesperinatal depression and premenstrual dysphoric disorder .
What You Can Do: Daily Habits Make A Difference
These healthy lifestyle habits, along with professional treatment, can help you manage the symptoms of major depression:
Treatment Works. SAMHSA Can Help You Find It.
Effective treatments for major depressive disorder are available in your area. The earlier that you begin treatment, the greater likelihood of a better outcome. For confidential and anonymous help finding a specialty program near you, visit SAMHSAs Early Serious Mental Illness Treatment Locator.
If you have been diagnosed and are receiving treatment for a serious mental illness, but moved to a new location, help is available. Use SAMHSAs Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator to locate a new program.
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The Worst Symptoms Of Depression We Don’t Talk About
Depression is often shrouded in misunderstanding. Some believe it means simply being sad and unmotivated, when really, the symptoms of depression often have a way of infiltrating everything, from the smallest, most unsuspecting details of life, to the biggest, most significant aspects of life. And trying to explain this often feels like trying to hold onto water as soon as you start to grasp it, it slips from your grip.
Thatswhy we asked people in our Mighty mental health community who struggle with depression to share the worst symptoms of depression people typically dont talk about. By opening the dialogue and trying to put words to these symptoms, we can continue to deepen our understanding and uncloak the misunderstanding that leads to the creation of shame and stigma.
Here is what they had to say:
1. Wanting to say whats on your mind, but you cant even explain it. So you just cry because you dont even know what youre feeling. Brenda A.
2. The exhaustion. Not only physically, but also mentally. Mentally exhausted from having to apologize for who you are. Mentally exhausted from trying to convince yourself you deserve to be here, be alive. Physically and mentally exhausted from living. Im tired, so tired. Abbie K.
3. The black hole I feel in the core of my being. It sucks in life, motivation, concentration, etc. To use another metaphor: its drowning in the the ocean in the middle of a tempest. Mark M.
Four Types Of Depression
Virtually everyone has some experience with depression however, the term depression has so many different meanings that confusion and invalidation often result when laypersons talk about their experiences. To address this problem, I have created a simple schema, based on my work with patients and my own personal experiences, to help people understand each other better when talking about depression.
In this article, I describe four different types of depression: situational, biological, psychological, and existential. While this schema does not represent a formal diagnostic model, I believe it can be helpful, especially for laypersons, to better communicate what they’re experiencing so they can get the help and validation they most need.
Type 1: Situational Depression
Are you feeling isolated and depressed from the COVID-19 quarantines? Have you ever cried for a week and struggled to get out of bed after a breakup? Did you ever have brief thoughts of suicide after getting rejected from a college you applied to?
If youve ever experienced intense sadness in response to these or similar events, congratulations: You are a warm-blooded human being. Youve also experienced what I call situational depression.
Type 2: Biological Depression
With biological depression, an individuals depressive symptoms start with an imbalance in any of the neurotransmitters or hormones that affect our mood and physiology.
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Fear Of Depression Or Mania Returning
When Ive actually gotten to the point where I feel stable or somewhat normal, the constant fear that the depression is gonna rear its ugly head again and kick my ass is terrifying. Its the uncertainty and unpredictably that get me the most. Chris P.
You never know when its going to hit, or how bad its going to be, or how long its going to last. The thought of having to deal with the mania and depression for the rest of my life is slightly terrifying. Erica K.
What Are The Long Term Effects Of Depression
There is plenty of evidence that demonstrates the full range of effects on the body associated with depression. According to the Mayo Clinic, patients with untreated long-term depression are more prone to sleep disruptions, heart disease, weight gain or loss, weakened immune system, and physical pain.
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Psycom Explains The Different Types Of Depression From Major Depressive Disorder To Dysthymia Postpartum Depression Seasonal Affective Disorder And More
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Depression is more than just feeling sad. Everyone feels low, upset, or unmotivated from time to time, but depression is much more than simply being down in the dumps. Depressive disorder is a mood disorder that affects how a person thinks, feels and behaves. Signs and symptoms of depression can range from hopelessness and fatigue, to a loss of interest in life, physical pain, and even suicidal thoughts. The DSM-5 definition of depression states that should a person present with these symptoms for a period of two weeks, the individual is experiencing a depressive episode.
There are many different types of depression, some of which are caused by events in your life, and others by chemical changes in the brain. Depression can be thought of as an umbrella term for a variety of disorders, some of which are caused by certain life events or situations, and others by chemical changes in the brain. Whatâs more, while some of the symptoms associated with the various depressive disorders overlap, there are also some key differences.
With the term âdepressionâ encompassing so many types of depression, if you think you might be depressed, you may be asking yourself: what kind of depression do I have?
Mental Slavery Is The Worst Form Of Slavery
Mental slavery is the worst form of Slavery. It gives you the illusion of freedom, makes you trust, love and defend your oppressor while making an enemy of those who are trying to free you or open your eyes!
Alex Hales
With professional experience in Content Writing and Digital Marketing, I bring creative and fresh ideas to the world of content. My content is focused on gaining engagement and creating brilliant contents on stress and anxiety issues.View Author posts
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Suicidal Thoughts And Behaviors
Strong signs of suicidality include talking about wanting to die, making plans, or attempting to take ones own life. Warning signs of suicidal intention include:
- Acquiring the means to commit suicide
- Changes in eating or sleeping habits
- Engaging in risky or self-destructive behavior
- Extreme agitation or anxiety
- Getting one’s affairs in order
- Increased use of substances such as drugs and alcohol
- Intense changes in mood/mood swings
- Saying goodbye to friends and family as though for the last time
- Feeling trapped or hopeless in ones situation
- Talking a lot about death, dying, and violence
- Talking about suicide or wishing that one hadn’t been born
- Withdrawal from friends or family
Do Adverse Experiences Always Result In Depression
Research documents that there is a strong relationship between adverse experience in childhoodsuch as verbal or physical abuse or household dysfunction caused by a mentally ill parentand the lifetime risk of depression. Studies show that verbal abuse more than doubles the lifetime risk of depression. Adverse experiences are a significant source of stress.
But whether they summon resources for successful coping or lead to despair depends in part on the situation and in part on the person. A child facing verbally or physically abusive treatment at home or school who has no means of escaping continuing injury is at elevated risk for developing depression. Situations may not be subject to changebut attitudes, interpretation, and meaning of experience are always under individual control and can confer resistance to depression and other disorders..
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Can Depression Change Your Face
Wu. Long-term depression has disastrous effects on skin, because the chemicals associated with the condition can prevent your body from repairing inflammation in cells. These hormones affect sleep, which will show on our faces in the form of baggy, puffy eyes and a dull or lifeless complexion, says Dr. Wechsler.
How Do Thinking Styles Influence Depression
Brooding over mistakes or unpleasant experiences, jumping to catastrophic conclusions from one or two setbacks, overgeneralizing from limited evidenceall are errors of thinking, or cognitive distortions, strongly linked to depression.
Such thinking mires the brain in negativity and, if unchecked, breed self-doubt and hopelessness. Whats more, studies show that negative thinking styles such as catastrophizing actually change physiology. Researchers have found that they enhance reactivity to painful stimulation and raise levels of the stress hormone cortisol and of pro-inflammatory agents in the blood. The inflammatory response brings on behavioral changes commonly associated with both sickness and depressionfatigue, slow reaction time, cognitive sluggishness, and loss of appetite.
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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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If My Mother Or Father Was Depressed Will I Be Depressed
Depression can be transmitted in families in several ways. Parents and children may share an array of genes that create susceptibility to depression. Even more subtly, parents may engage in depressive thinking and explanatory styles that children acquire unwittingly in the air they breathe every day at home while growing up.
There is considerable evidence that when mothers of young children are depressed, they fail to engage with their children. As a result, babies do not acquire the strong emotional bond that enables them to grow, to withstand stress, to develop emotional regulation, and to become responsive to others. Treating depressed mothers is often the best way to treat problems in children.
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How Is Dysthymia Diagnosed
Depression often happens with other conditions, such as heart disease, or cancer. It may also happen with substance abuse or anxiety disorders. Often, people with dysthymia grow accustomed to the mild depressive symptoms and do not seek help. But, early diagnosis and treatment is key to recovery.
A diagnosis may be made after a careful psychiatric exam and medical history done by a mental health professional.
Ways You Can Look After Yourself
If youre depressed, there are steps you can take 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.
- Try talking therapy to stay well. NICE guidelines recommend CBT or mindfulness-based cognitive therapy if youve been depressed in the past.
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Different Types Of Depression
Depression isn’t a one-size-fits-all diagnosis. From atypical depression to seasonal affective disorder, the condition has many faces.
Are you depressed?
Whether you’re a college student in the middle of a major slump, a new mom who can’t pinpoint why she’s feeling so glum, or a retiree grieving over the loss of a loved one, that question isn’t an easy one to answer.
But there’s one thing for sure about depression: “It is much more than just a sad mood,” says Angelos Halaris, MD, PhD, a professor of psychiatry and the medical director of adult psychiatry at the Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago. Symptoms may include everything from hopelessness and fatigue to physical pain. And just as symptoms vary from person to person, so does the diagnosis.
We all feel sad at times. But depression is different. This serious mood disorder causes severe symptoms that affect how you feel, think, and manage your daily life, causing persistent feelings of sadness and loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities. The word depression is actually just an umbrella term for a number of different types of depression, from major depression to atypical depression to dysthymia.
Depression ranges in seriousness from mild, temporary episodes of sadness to severe, persistent depression that seems as if it will never end. The clinical depression definition includes the more severe type of depression known as major depression.
Do any of these types of depression sound familiar?
How Does Perfectionism Lead To Depression
Perfectionism is like an endless negative report card. Those in its grip dont just hold high standards for themselves, they are perpetual self-critics, always judging themselves harshly. They focus on the very thing they most want to avoidnegative evaluation and failure. Perfectionism keeps people completely self-absorbed, always finding fault with themselves, a mindset that prevents them from taking on potentially-rewarding challenges.
Even when perfectionists complete a task, they cannot enjoy a sense of achievement relentless concern with mistakes leads them to be haunted with uncertainty about their performance. The constant negative focus leads to a negatively distorted view of themselves, self-doubt, and feelings of inadequacy and worthlessness. Perfectionists are vulnerable to depression because their self-worth is contingent on fully achieving goalsa condition that, by definition, they can never meet.
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What Are The Most Common Causes Of Depression
Studies consistently show that depression is most associated with the number of stressors experienced in life, and the effect is cumulativethe more stresses that accrue over time, the greater the likelihood of getting depressed. The loss of an important relationship by death or divorce is experienced by most people as a major stress requiring significant adjustment.
Loneliness is both a physical and emotional stressor, and rates of loneliness, known to be high among the elderly, are sharply rising among the young, who increasingly report having no close friends. Job loss or the threat of job loss are almost invariably sources of constant worry. In the absence of a wide array of coping skills, even minor bumps on lifes journey can become significant stressors.