What is Depression? Symptoms, Causes and Treatments

 What are the Top Things that Cause Depression?

An estimated 3.8% of the world's population suffers from Depression, including 5.0% of adults and 5.7% of persons over the age of 60. Almost 280 million individuals worldwide suffer from depression. Depression is distinct from common mood swings and fleeting emotional reactions to problems in daily life. Depression may develop into a significant medical illness, especially if it is recurring and of a moderate to severe degree. The affected person may experience severe suffering and perform poorly at their job, in school, and in the family. Suicide can result from depression at its worst. Every year, around 700,000 individuals die by suicide. For people aged 15 to 29, suicide is the fourth most common cause of death.

What is Depression?

A prolonged sense of melancholy and loss of interest are symptoms of Depression, a mood illness. Clinical depression, also known as major depressive disorder, affects how you feel, think, and behave and can cause a number of emotional and physical issues. You can find it difficult to carry out your regular daily tasks, and you might occasionally think life isn't worth living.

"A persistent sense of emptiness, melancholy, or an inability to experience the pleasure that may seem to occur for no apparent cause is known as depression. It is different from sadness and other feelings."

Depression is more than just a case of the blues, and you can't immediately "snap out" of it. Long-term therapy may be necessary for depression. But resist giving up. With medicine, counseling, or both, the majority of depressed persons get improved symptoms.

Symptoms of Depression:

Symptoms of depression vary from mild to severe.

• A sense of sadness or depression.
• Loss of enjoyment or interest in once-enjoyed activities.
• Changes in appetite, unrelated weight loss or gain.
• Lack of sleep or excessive sleep.
• Energy loss or increased tiredness.
• An increase in pointless movement (such as hand-wringing, pacing, or an inability to sit still) or slower speech or movement (these actions must be severe enough to be observable by others).
• Feeling guilty or unworthy.
• Thinking, concentration, or decision-making challenges.
• Thoughts of suicide or death.

Many depressed individuals often have symptoms that are severe enough to interfere with daily activities including job, school, social interactions, or interpersonal relationships. Some people may experience widespread misery or unhappiness without truly understanding why.

Risk Factors of Depression:

Even those who seem to lead relatively idyllic lives might suffer from Depression.

The following things may contribute to depression:

• Biochemistry: It's possible that variations in a few brain chemicals are a factor in the symptoms of depression.
• Genetics: A family history of depression may exist. For instance, if one identical twin develops depression, there is a 70% probability that the other would also get the condition at some point in life.
• Personality: Depression seems to be more common among those who have low self-esteem, are easily stressed out or are typically gloomy.
• Environmental Factors: Some people may be more susceptible to depression if they are consistently exposed to violence, neglect, abuse, or poverty.

Types of Depression:

There are many types of depression. Some are brought on by life events, while others are brought on by chemical changes in the brain. Regardless of the source, the first thing you should do is express your concerns to your doctor. To determine the sort of depression you are experiencing, they could suggest that you speak with a mental health professional. This diagnosis will help your doctor choose the best course of action.

Major Depression:

Your doctor could refer to this as a "major depressive illness." If you experience depression on most of the days of the week, you may have this kind.

Symptoms of Major Depression:

The following are the symptoms of major depression. 

• A decline in enjoyment or interest in your activities.
• Gain or lose weight.
• Difficulty falling asleep or daytime sleepiness
• Feeling exceedingly lethargic and sluggish, or alternatively restless and irritated.
• Being exhausted and lacking energy.
• Feeling guilty or unworthy.
• Difficulty focusing or making judgments.
• Suicidal thoughts.

If you have five or more of these symptoms on a daily basis for two weeks or more, your doctor may determine that you are suffering from serious depression. Depression or a loss of interest in activities must be at least one of the symptoms.

The Symptoms of major depression vary from person to person. It might be: depending on how depressed you feel:

Anxious Discomfort: Most of the time, you feel tight and restless. You find it difficult to focus because you are afraid that something terrible could occur and you feel as though you might lose control of yourself.

Melancholy: You experience extreme sadness and stop being interested in the things you used to love. Even when nice things happen, you still feel horrible. You might also

• Felt very depressed in the mornings.
• Reduce weight.
• Poor sleep.
• Possess suicidal notions.

When you first wake up in the morning, melancholy depression symptoms may be at their worst. Think about asking someone to assist you with your morning duties. Even if you don't feel hungry, remember to eat frequently.

Agitated: Most of the time, you feel uncomfortable. You might also

• Chat a lot.
• Move without a cause, such as by pacing the room and fidgeting with your hands.
• Don't be impulsive.

Therapies to treat Major Depression:

Therapies are the followings.

• Talk Therapy: Talk therapy is beneficial. A mental health professional will help you identify strategies for controlling your depression throughout your consultation.
• Electroconvulsive Therapy: Under general anesthesia, electroconvulsive treatment (ECT) is a process in which tiny electric currents are purposely used to cause a short seizure in the brain. ECT appears to alter brain chemistry in a way that swiftly alleviates the signs and symptoms of several mental health problems.
• Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS): To alleviate the symptoms of depression, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a noninvasive treatment, stimulates brain nerve cells using magnetic fields. When other depression therapies have failed, TMS is frequently employed. This depression therapy, also known as repetitive TMS or rTMS, involves administering magnetic pulses repeatedly.
• Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS): Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) uses the vagus nerve to provide regular, gentle electrical pulses to the brain in an effort to prevent or decrease seizure activity. The treatment entails implanting a device under the skin in the left chest region.

All are designed to stimulate certain areas of brain activity. This helps the parts of your brain that control your mood work better.

Persistent Depressive Disorder.

Persistent depressive disorder is the name for depression that lasts for two years or more. Formerly called as dysthymia (low-grade persistent depression) and chronic severe depression, these two disorders are now referred to by one word.

Symptoms are the followings:

• The way you eat has changed (not eating enough or overeating).
• Excessive or insufficient sleep.
• Lack of energy or weariness.
• A low sense of Self-Esteem.
• Difficulty in focusing or making judgments.
• Having no hope.
• Psychotherapy, medicine, or a mix of the two may be used to treat you.

Treatments:

In this disorder, the person must be treated with psychotherapy and medication. But most of the time both are combined work.

Psychotherapy: A range of therapies is referred to as psychotherapy (also known as talk therapy) with the goal of assisting a patient in recognizing and altering troublesome feelings, ideas, and actions. The majority of psychotherapy sessions include a patient and a licensed mental health practitioner meeting one-on-one or in a group setting with other patients.

Medication: Antidepressant medications are also helpful.

Bipolar Disorder.

Manic depression, formerly known as bipolar disorder, is a mental health illness that results in sharp mood fluctuations, including emotional highs (mania or hypomania), and lows (depression). When you experience depression, you could feel melancholy or hopeless and stop enjoying or being interested in most things. You could experience mania or hypomania (a less severe form of mania), which can make you feel euphoric, energized, or excessively irritated. 

The capacity to think clearly, energy levels, activities, judgment, and conduct can all be impacted by these mood changes. Mood swing episodes might happen seldom or repeatedly each year. While the majority of people will have some emotional symptoms in between bouts, some people might not.

Although the bipolar illness is a lifelong diagnosis, by adhering to a treatment plan, you can control your mood swings and other symptoms.

Treatments:

 The majority of the time, Psychotherapy and Drugs are used to treat bipolar illness.

Seasonal Affective Disorders (SAD).

Major depression that most frequently occurs in the winter when the days are shorter and you receive less and less sunshine is known as a seasonal affective disorder. Usually, it disappears in the spring and summer.

Treatments:

Antidepressants can be beneficial if you have SAD. So too can light treatment. You must spend 15 to 30 minutes every day seated in front of a particularly bright light box.

Psychotic Depression: 

Individuals who suffer from Psychotic Depression also have "psychotic" symptoms, such as:

• Hallucinations: The perception of unreal sounds or images.
• Delusions: False beliefs.
• Paranoia: Wrongly believing that people are attempting to harm you. Wrongly believing that others are trying to harm you.

Treatments:

• Antidepressant and antipsychotic medications can be used in conjunction to treat psychotic depression. 
• ECT could also be a choice.

Peripartum and Post Partum Depression.

A significant depressive episode that happens during pregnancy or within four weeks of birth is referred to as "Peripartum Depression."

An episode of significant depression known as "Postpartum Depression" starts within the first four weeks following birth.

Peripartum depression may exist in women who experience significant depressive episodes in the weeks and months following giving birth. In the peripartum period, about 1 in 10 males also experience depression.

Treatments:

Similar to how serious depression unrelated to delivery is treated, Antidepressant medication might be helpful.

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD).

When their period first starts, women with PMDD experience sadness and other symptoms.

In addition to being depressed, you also have:

• Mood changes.
• Irritability.
• Anxiety.
• Having trouble focusing.
• Fatigue.
• Alteration in eating or sleeping patterns.
• A sense of being overpowered.

Treatments:

• PMDD is treated with antidepressants or occasionally with oral contraceptives.

Situational Depression.

In psychiatry, this is not a technical word. Yet, when you're having problems handling a stressful event in your life, such as a death in the family, a divorce, or losing your work, you may feel gloomy. Your physician could refer to this as "stress response syndrome."

Treatments:

• A stressful situation-related phase of depression is frequently treatable with psychotherapy.

Atypical Depression.

This sort of despair is distinct from the enduring melancholy of ordinary depression. It's regarded as a "specifier" that characterizes a constellation of depressed symptoms. If you suffer from atypical depression, a happy occasion may momentarily lift your spirits.

Here are some other Symptoms of atypical depression:

• Higher Appetite.
• More sleep than normal.
• The sensation of being heavy in your arms and legs.
• Too vulnerable to criticism.

Treatments:

Antidepressants are beneficial. During the initial course of therapy, your doctor may advise an SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor).

Treatment Resistant Depression:

One-third of those receiving therapy for depression attempt multiple different approaches without success. If so, you may have depression that is resistant to therapy. Your depression may resist therapy for a variety of reasons. For instance, it's possible that you have other illnesses that make treating your depression challenging.

Treatments:

Your doctor can suggest some less traditional therapy alternatives if you are diagnosed with depression that is resistant to treatment. In this circumstance, electroconvulsive treatment (ECT) can be beneficial.

Final Verdict:

Although there is no known therapy for depression, there are several efficient options. Because each person is unique, individualized therapy is crucial. A person with depression can live without experiencing symptoms by receiving the appropriate therapy. Alternative therapies can assist a person manage their depression symptoms when used in addition to standard treatments like medication and counseling.