Generation Me Doesn’t Admit To Depression More They’re Actually Feeling It
Everywhere you look today, people are stressed out. Many reach a breaking point and sink into depression a mental health issue few of our grandparents or great-grandparents experienced.
Or is it?
Perhaps people 50 or 75 years ago just didnt talk about depression, and didnt seek treatment for it. After all, effective treatments werent exactly available back then. Maybe people today are more willing to admit to depression, and thats why it looks like everyone is so stressed and depressed. That’s one reason why many researchers are skeptical of the claim that mental health issues have become more common.
One way to get around this problem is to look at anonymous surveys that ask about anxiety and depression. Even better, ask about symptoms of anxiety and depression that way, people arent saying they are depressed outright. Instead, they are reporting how they actually feel.
But when people were asked directly if they felt depressed, that didnt change much between the 1980s and the 2010s.
How can that be? Most people dont realize that having trouble sleeping and remembering are symptoms of depression. Many people admit to being stressed or overwhelmed but dont consider themselves depressed. The problem is that stress is a risk factor for depression, and depression doesnt always appear as extreme lethargy and sadness it often shows up in bodily symptoms.
The tougher question is why people seem to be suffering more. I have three theories.
Does Depression Increase The Risk For Suicide
Although the majority of people who have depression do not die by suicide, having major depression does increase suicide risk compared to people without depression. The risk of death by suicide may, in part, be related to the severity of the depression.
New data on depression that has followed people over long periods of time suggests that about 2 percent of those people ever treated for depression in an outpatient setting will die by suicide. Among those ever treated for depression in an inpatient hospital setting, the rate of death by suicide is twice as high . Those treated for depression as inpatients following suicide ideation or suicide attempts are about three times as likely to die by suicide as those who were only treated as outpatients. There are also dramatic gender differences in lifetime risk of suicide in depression. Whereas about 7 percent of men with a lifetime history of depression will die by suicide, only 1 percent of women with a lifetime history of depression will die by suicide.
Another way about thinking of suicide risk and depression is to examine the lives of people who have died by suicide and see what proportion of them were depressed. From that perspective, it is estimated that about 60 percent of people who commit suicide have had a mood disorder . Younger persons who kill themselves often have a substance abuse disorder, in addition to being depressed.
Learn More:
How To Manage Your Depression
Proper management of depression requires support from a trained mental health professional, cooperation from friends and family members, the right medications and motivation.
Extreme symptoms such as suicidal ideation, hallucinogenic episodes and severe depression may require electroconvulsive therapy and hospitalization.
Here are a few tips to manage your depression.
- Try to be physically active and exercise daily. Exercise has been known to combat episodes of depression.
- Dont be too hard on yourself. Set realistic goals for your career, family life and body.
- Spend quality time with your friends, family and confide in a trusted friend or relative with your problems.
- Join a support group for mental health disorders.
- Engage yourself in hobbies such as gardening, hiking and reading to keep negative thoughts at bay.
- Keep a gratitude journal to note down the things you should be grateful for.
- Postpone important decisions such as getting married or divorced or changing jobs until you feel better.
- Continue to educate yourself about depression.
- Eat healthy. Foods such as bananas, milk, almonds and dark chocolate have mood-elevating properties.
You May Like: Best Exercise To Fight Depression
Do Social Networks Contribute To Epidemics Of Anxiety And Depression
Posted June 19, 2019
A startling recent increase in depression for adolescents and young adults suggest they are being attacked by something very recent. Researchers point to the rise of social media. Is this just another case of paranoia about new technology?
Anxiety and depression are diseases of modern life rarely, if ever, found in subsistence societies. Something about modern life causes depression.
The Epidemic of Depression
This point was driven home by an epidemic of depression that overcame developing countries as their population abandoned a rural way of life and relocated to cities.
For Americans born a century ago, the chances of suffering any episode of major depression in the lifetime was only about 1 percent. Today, the lifetime incidence is about 20 times greater . Depression is also striking at ever-younger ages. One way of winnowing out possible causes of the epidemic of depression is to look for psychological advantages of living on a subsistence farm compared to city life.
When Farmers Were Happy
Thanks to their high activity level, and a high-fiber diet, subsistence farmers were slender and mostly free of diabetes, heart disease, and the other obesity-related problems that are the bane of modern life.
The Social Explanation
Does Depression Look The Same In Everyone
Depression can affect people differently, depending on their age.
Children with depression may be anxious, cranky, pretend to be sick, refuse to go to school, cling to a parent, or worry that a parent may die.
Older children and teens with depression may get into trouble at school, sulk, be easily frustrated feel restless, or have low self-esteem. They also may have other disorders, such as anxiety and eating disorders, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or substance use disorder. Older children and teens are more likely to experience excessive sleepiness and increased appetite . In adolescence, females begin to experience depression more often than males, likely due to the biological, life cycle, and hormonal factors unique to women.
Younger adults with depression are more likely to be irritable, complain of weight gain and hypersomnia, and have a negative view of life and the future. They often have other disorders, such as generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, panic disorder, and substance use disorders.
Middle-aged adults with depression may have more depressive episodes, decreased libido, middle-of-the-night insomnia, or early morning awakening. They also may more frequently report having gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea or constipation.
You May Like: What To Do When You Have Severe Depression
What Are The Symptoms Of Depression And How Is It Diagnosed
The NHS recommends that you should see your GP if you experience symptoms of depression for most of the day, every day, for more than 2 weeks.
Doctors make decisions about diagnosis based on manuals. The manual used by NHS doctors is the International Classification of Diseases .
When you see a doctor they will look for the symptoms that are set out in the ICD-10 guidance. You do not have to have all of these to be diagnosed with depression. You might have just experience some of them.
Some symptoms of depression are:
- low mood, feeling sad, irritable or angry,
- having less energy to do certain things,
- losing interest or enjoyment in activities you used to enjoy,
- reduced concentration,
You may also find that with low mood you:
- feel less pleasure from things,
- feel more agitated,
- find your thoughts and movements slow down, and
- have thoughts of self-harm or suicide.
Your doctor should also ask about any possible causes of depression. For example, they may want to find out if youve experienced anything traumatic recently which could be making you feel this way.
There are no physical tests for depression. But the doctors may do some tests to check if you have any physical problems. For example, an underactive thyroid can cause depression.
On the NHS website, they have a self-assessment test which can help you to assess whether you are living with depression: www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/clinical-depression/overview/
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:
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.
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 . and may sometimes exhibit oversensitivity, social withdrawal, poor school performance, frequent physical complaints , or feelings of incompetence and despair .
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.
Recommended Reading: Goals Of Treatment For Depression
Should You Worry About Antidepressant Withdrawal
insomniaPsychiatric Times
More to the point, while you should slowly stop your antidepressant with the help of your doctor, antidepressants do not cause dependence and withdrawal like other substances. Unlike substances that are known to cause addiction, such as alcohol, opioids, and barbiturates, people don’t crave antidepressants. You dont get high from them, and they arent intentionally or compulsively overused. Serious reactions like the seizures and agitation that can follow sudden withdrawal from addictive substances are unheard of when these antidepressants are tapered gradually, note the authors of the Psychiatric Times report.
Information For Family Carers And Friends
You can get support if you are a carer, friend or family member of someone living with depression.
Being a carer might mean you can claim certain benefits that might help you and the person you care for. For more information, please see the Mental Health and Money Advice services website:www.mentalhealthandmoneyadvice.org/en/welfare-benefits/what-benefits-are-available-for-mental-health-carers/
You could also get in touch with carer support groups or sibling support groups. You can search for local groups in your area online or ask your GP.
You can ask your local authority for a carers assessment if you need more practical support to help care for someone.
As a carer you should be involved in decisions about care planning. There are rules about information sharing and confidentiality which may make it difficult for you to get all the information you need in some circumstances.
You can find out more information about:
How can I support the person that I care for?
You might find it easier to support someone with depression if you understand their symptoms, treatment and self-management skills. You can use this to support them to get help and stay well.
Below are some initial suggestions for providing practical day to day support to someone with depression.
You can find out more information about:
You can find more information about:
Website: www.web.ntw.nhs.uk/selfhelp/
Read Also: How Many Children Have Depression
What Are The Four Types Of Depression
The four most common types of depression are major depression, persistent depressive disorder, bipolar disorder and seasonal affective disorder.
Changes After Giving Birth
After having a baby, it’s common for new moms to experience feelings of sadness and anxiety this emotional response is often referred to as the baby blues. But in more serious cases, these feelings last longer than a few days and may be a form of depression called postpartum depression.
Studies estimate that postpartum depression affects 10%15% of new mothers, but Kathleen Kendall-Tackett, PhD, a psychologist and lactation consultant who specializes in postpartum depression, previously told Health it may actually be as high as 25%.
You May Like: Can You Get Depressed After A Breakup
Stuck In Negative Thoughts They Can’t Escape Many Fall Prey To Sadness
Peoples thoughts and attitudes explain why some develop depression following stressful life events. The following list provides an overview of various vulnerability factors that put a person at risk for developing depression. There are indications that these distorted beliefs precede the initial onset of depression. Thus, improving faulty thinking may help to prevent depressive mood.
This thinking pattern suggests that individuals come to believe that they have no power over events in their own lives. These individuals are passive and believe that they cannot do anything to relieve their suffering.
2. Being stuck in negative thoughts.
Depressed individuals are prone to ruminate on negative thoughts. Unfortunately, this tends to maintain or amplify negative thinking. For example, the thoughts of someone suffering from depression following a bitter divorce might take the form of regret , and anxiety about the future . The urge to repetitively think about the causes and consequences of the event may prevent depressed people from using effective coping strategies.
3. Feeling depleted.
4. Lack of motivation.
5. Biased memory.
Depression is associated with recall of negative eventsthis happens automatically. The memories of past failures and the images of feared future scenarios further worsen one’s mood. In contrast, recalling positive memories of life events can improve a person’s mood.
6. Schema.
7. Pursuing unattainable goals.
Tips For Living Well With Major Depressive Disorder
Living with major depression can feel lonely. People may be fearful or ashamed of being labeled with a serious mental illness, causing them to suffer in silence, rather than get help. In fact, most people with major depression never seek the right treatment. But those struggling with this illness are not alone. Its one of the most common and most treatable mental health disorders. With early, continuous treatment, people can gain control of their symptoms, feel better, and get back to enjoying their lives.
Also Check: Can Severe Depression Cause Nausea
People Are Diagnosed Earlier Than In The Past
In many countries, mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder are being diagnosed earlier than they were in the past.2
We see clear evidence of this in the data in the chart.
This data comes from a study conducted in Denmark, which looked at the age when people were first diagnosed with mental disorders. They used data from across the population.3
In 1996 the age of diagnosis varied widely. Young, middle-aged and old people all had a similar chance of being diagnosed with depression for the first time. By 2016, people were diagnosed much earlier. They were much more likely to be diagnosed with depression when they were young adults than later in their lives.
There are several reasons that this age distribution has shifted.
First, people have become more willing to seek treatment for mental health conditions.4
Second, there are more guidelines on how to diagnose conditions in children and adolescents than in the past. In Denmark, children and adolescents have become more likely to be seen by professionals and screened for mental health conditions, and have regular check-ups for psychiatric symptoms at schools.5
This means they are more likely to be diagnosed during their first episode of depression. In the past, they may have been diagnosed later perhaps when they were actually having their second or third episode or not diagnosed at all.
Keep reading on Our World in Data:
Medication Recreational Drugs And Alcohol
Depression can be a side effect of a lot of different medicines. If you are feeling depressed after starting any kind of medication, check the patient information leaflet to see whether depression is a side effect, or ask your doctor. If you think a drug is causing your depression, you can talk to your doctor about taking an alternative, especially if you are expecting your treatment to last some time.
Alcohol and recreational drugs can both cause depression. Although you might initially use them to make yourself feel better, or to distract yourself, they can make you feel worse overall. See our pages on for more information.
Read Also: Am I Going Through Depression
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, or someone you know, need help to stop using substances whether the problem is methamphetamine, alcohol or another drug call SAMHSAs National Helpline at or TTY: , or text your zip code to 435748 , or use the SAMHSAs Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator to get help.