What is Depression ? Know the Symptoms and Treatment
Psychologist, Jaslok Hospital, 10 years of experience
English हिन्दी Bengali Tamil العربية
Depression
Depression is a mood disorder that may resolve on its own, but it can cause severe problems in some people. These people always have perpetual feelings of sadness, anger, and frustration that interfere with their ability to do day-to-day routine activities. These feelings may even impact their relationships and cause chronic illnesses.
Depression is quite common and according to the WHO, 34 crore people suffer from depression worldwide, and 5.6 crore people suffer from depression in India. A majority of these cases occur in the age group of 18 to 34.
Let us tell you in detail about depression in today’s article.
- What are the Causes of Depression?
- What are the Types of Depression? affect
- What are the Symptoms of Depression?
- How is Depression Diagnosed?
- What is the Treatment of Depression?
- How to Prevent Depression?
- Myths and Facts About Depression
What are the Causes of Depression?
There are many possible causes of depression and these can include a combination of psychological, social, and biological factors such as:
- Genetics – Genetics can be a factor for depression. Genetics can be very complicated and while the exact gene causing depression is not known, a history of depression in the family can increase its chances of occurrence.
- Age – Elderly people are more susceptible to depression. This can be aggravated by factors like staying alone or a lack of social support.
- Gender – Women are at a higher risk of depression than men. It is believed to be due to the hormonal changes that they go through throughout their lives.
- Hormonal imbalances – Hormonal imbalance, caused by things like menopause, thyroid problems, childbirth, etc can affect the body and increase the chances of depression. A decrease in the levels of a hormone called serotonin, in the brain, is linked with depression. ( Know more about- What are hormonal imbalance in females? )
- Personal problems – Some people may feel stressed due to various personal issues, such as pressures at work or discrepancies in their marriage.
- Substance abuse – There has been a direct link between substance abuse and depression. Nearly 30% of people with a history of substance abuse have mild to severe clinical depression.
- Illness – Some chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis, kidney disease, HIV and AIDS, heart disease, etc have been linked with depression.
- Medications – Chronic usage of certain medications like beta-blockers and corticosteroids, can increase the risk of depression.
What are the Types of Depression?
Types of depression include:
- Major depressive disorder (MDD): Major depression (clinical depression) has intense symptoms that last longer than two weeks. These symptoms interfere with everyday life.
- Bipolar depression: People with bipolar disorder have alternating periods of low mood and high energy. During the low period, they may present depression-like symptoms.
- Perinatal and postpartum depression: Perinatal depression can occur in women anytime during the pregnancy and last up to almost a year after having a baby whereas postpartum occurs in women after they have given birth.
- Persistent depressive disorder (PDD): PDD is also called dysthymia. Symptoms of PDD are less severe than major depression but people experience PDD symptoms for as long as two years or even longer.
- Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD): It is a severe form of the premenstrual disorder (PMS). It affects women in the days or weeks before the start of their menstrual period.
- Psychotic depression: People with psychotic depression have severe symptoms and can even have delusions or hallucinations. Delusions are beliefs in things that are not based on reality, while hallucinations involve seeing, hearing, or feeling things that don’t affect them thereafter.
- Seasonal affective disorder (SAD): It usually starts in late fall and early winter. It often goes away during hotter climates like spring and summer.
What are the Symptoms of Depression?
The symptoms can vary according to the type of depression the individual is suffering from. It affects your thoughts, feelings, and actions. Let us explain the symptoms in detail.
- Feeling inexplicably tired (fatigue)
- Depressed mood
- Restlessness
- Irritability
- Mood swings
- Frustration
- Difficulty in thinking and decision making
- Difficulty in concentrating
- Inability to work efficiently
- The feeling of guilt and worthlessness
- Compelling increase in consumption of drugs and alcohol
- Headache and body ache
- Muscle ache
- Dissociating from others
- Disturbances in sleep ranging from excessive sleepiness to insomnia
- Changes in appetite
- Recurrent thoughts of death or self-harm
- Decreased interest and participation in previously enjoyable activities (also called anhedonia)
How is Depression Diagnosed?
To be diagnosed with depression, an individual should have at least 5 symptoms of depression for a minimum of 2 weeks. One of the symptoms should be a depressed mood or a loss of interest or pleasure in almost all activities. The following can be done for diagnosing depression:
- First, the doctor conducts a physical examination, in which health-related questions are asked so that physical symptoms of depression can be detected. In many cases, an underlying health problem may be linked with depression.
- In a lab test, the doctor can order a blood test called a complete blood test to detect any internal problem. Researchers found that levels of a nerve growth factor were reduced in people with depression.
- Depending on the symptoms of the person, the doctor may conduct a psychiatric evaluation. Your doctor may ask you questions about your symptoms, behavior patterns, thoughts, and feelings.
- Mental health professionals often ask patients to fill out various questionnaires to assess the severity of their depression. The scores on these questionnaires indicate the severity of depression among people who already have a diagnosis.
What is the Treatment of Depression?
Treatment for depression includes:
- Self-help: Taking care of yourself with the help of regular exercise, adequate sleep, and spending time with the people you care about can improve depression symptoms.
- Counseling: Counseling or psychotherapy is interacting with a mental health professional. Your counselor helps you identify and address your problems and develop coping skills. Sometimes brief therapy is all you need. Other people continue therapy longer. ( Know more about- What are the benefits of Counselling? )
- Alternative medicine: People with mild depression can improve their well-being with complementary therapy. Therapy may include massage, acupuncture, hypnosis, and biofeedback.
- Medication: Prescription medicine like antidepressants can help alter brain chemistry that causes depression. Antidepressants can take a couple of weeks to affect. Some antidepressants cause certain side effects, which often improve with time. If they don’t, talk to your provider. A different medication may work better for you.
- Brain stimulation therapy: Brain stimulation therapy can be useful for people who have severe depression or a combination of depression with psychosis. Types of brain stimulation therapy consist of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and vagus nerve stimulation (VNS). ( Know more about- What is Parkinson’s Disease and Deep Brain Stimulation Therapy? )
There are many renowned hospitals in different cities of India where treatment of Depression is done. Deep Brain Stimulation therapy is done in these hospitals across different cities.
How to Prevent Depression?
There is no sure shot method to prevent depression however some of the following measures can be taken to curb depression:
- Listen to your favorite songs to elevate your mood.
- Maintaining a proper sleep cycle is essential. Do not look at any screens such as your laptop or mobile before going to sleep as it can cause stress. The blue light emitted by your cell phone screen restricts the production of melatonin, the hormone that controls your circadian rhythm (sleep-wake cycle). ( Know more about- Tips for Better Sleep )
- Do the things that you enjoy and which you find interesting. This can reduce stress.
- If you are into spirituality, you can calm your mind by reading some religious books and listening to bhajans.
- Try to exercise as much as possible. Yoga is also a healthy practice to include in your regime. This results in the production of endorphins or the “feel-good hormones.”
- Eat a healthy and nutritious diet. . Also, drink plenty of water.
- Reduce your caffeine intake i.e. tea, coffee intake. Quit smoking and avoid consumption of alcohol regularly, as it increases the risk of depression. ( Know more about- Benefits and Side Effects of Coffee )
Myths and Facts About Depression
Myth – Children cannot get depression.
Fact – Depression can occur in any age group and is not limited to any particular age group.
Myth – Depression will always get better by itself.
Fact – Very few people get over depression without having any treatment while the majority of people require treatment. Without treatment, depression can last for months to years.
Myth – Depression is all in your head, you can get over it.
Fact – Depression is an actual disease of the brain caused by an imbalance of chemicals in the brain.
We hope that we could answer your questions regarding Depression through this article.
If you want more information and treatment of Depression, you can contact a Psychologist.
We only aim to give you information through this article. We do not recommend medication, treatment in any way. Only a doctor can give you the best advice.
