Depression impacts hundreds of millions of people across the spectrums of age, race, socio-economic status, and level of healthiness. Because of this, the word ‘depression’ has become a common part of language, which may be how it has built up an association with strong stigmas and prevalent myths. If you or a loved one is experiencing the symptoms of depression, it is important to reach out and find help and information.

Introduction to Depression

Depression is a life-altering, chronic condition and not simply having bad days, a passing feeling of sadness, or generally feeling blue for a short time. It can interfere with your ability to function in the major activities of life. People with major depression know feelings of profound sorrow and despair. While these feelings and symptoms must persist for two weeks or more to be considered major depression, the duration typically extends far longer. Depression is complex, and the spectrum of potential causes and risk factors is diverse. Your likelihood to develop major depression can be impacted by everything, from a major life event to the hormonal changes of pregnancy.

Prevalence of Depression

Depression is common. An estimated 5% of the global population of adults suffers from depression at any given time. This adds up to 280 million depression sufferers worldwide. In the US, 15 million visits to a physician’s office listed a depressive disorder as their major diagnosis in 2019.

The commonplace nature of this mental illness is slowly overcoming some of the stigmas that surround mental illness in general. If you suffer from depression, odds are you know other people in similar circumstances.

Dispelling Common Depression Myths

Because depression is everywhere and can strike anyone, it has had a lot of time for myths to build up around it. Combat the following myths with facts.

Myth 1: Depression is Not Real or It’s All In Your Head

Some people persist in the idea that depression is an invented problem; perhaps lacking personal experience and imagination, they refuse to accept the reality of this very real mental health disorder. However, you can find this condition in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition. This source describes depression’s symptoms, which impact people both emotionally and physically.

Myth 2: You Can Just Get Over It

Without treatment, depression and its life-impacting symptoms are left to run for months or years; it may never go away. Not only does depression require treatment, but it often responds best to a twofold approach instead of only trying a medication or a therapy treatment. Recovery is often successful as a result of both medication and therapy working together.

Myth 3: Children Don’t Get Depression

Anyone of any age can develop depression. Nor is depression a natural part of growing pains or expected to enter every life, despite its common nature. However, hormonal changes, stress from school, and figuring out one’s place in the world can open the door to depressive symptoms and major depressive disorder where adolescents are concerned.

Myth 4: Depression Only Results from Trauma

Many things can lead to the onset of depression. These include:

• Medications
• Recreational substance use
• Hormone imbalances
• Pregnancy and childbirth
• Seasonal considerations

Even experts grapple with the problem of an absolute definition of depression and a clear set of causes.

Myth 5: Medication Is a Total Depression Solution

Many people hope or believe that a simple pill will solve their problems. While medications certainly assist in treating depression, they seldom do the job alone. Medication paired with psychotherapy is a favorite plan of attack for many mental health experts. Certain lifestyle changes are also beneficial, from adding activity to a daily schedule to reaching out to loved ones.

Myth 6: Talking About Depression Worsens It

In the past, talking about your depression was seen as dwelling on it and making your depression worse. The truth is that talking is usually therapeutic if a person has a nonjudgmental audience. It can help you work through your thoughts and feelings, better understand yourself, and diminish feelings of isolation.

Myth 7: Hard Work Can Beat Depression

According to a common misconception, burying yourself in your work can help you alleviate the symptoms of depression. This can actually exacerbate the symptoms while leaving them otherwise untreated. Overworking and striving for the distraction of success can lead to neglecting self-care activities and take away from time spent relaxing and being social.

Recognizing Depression Symptoms

Depression, like other disorders, manifests differently from person to person. The impacts of depression also vary according to the sufferer’s age. A child may be cranky or clingy; a teen may be sulkier than usual for their age or unusually restless. For adults, the symptoms range from generally long-term depressed moods to suicidal ideation.

Feelings of Sadness or Experiencing Depressed Moods

Where children may be irritable, adults generally feel sorrow, worry, or hopelessness. These feelings are strong and persist for weeks or more. With depression, you may feel empty, be more tearful than usual, or find yourself exploding in angry outbursts.

Loss of Interest or Pleasure in Previously Enjoyed Activities

When depression strikes, it often removes pleasure and satisfaction from those pastimes and hobbies that once occupied you. Anything from sports to crosswords to sex can lose their appeal for a person with depression.

Changes in Appetite

Some people with depression lose interest in food and can even become nauseated at the thought of eating. Others seek comfort in food and overeat to stimulate reward centers in the brain.

Too Much or Too Little Sleep

Depression can lead to sleepless nights that leave the sufferer feeling drained and without energy. It can also lead to sleep-filled days as the sufferer uses sleep as a coping mechanism and an escape.

Suicidal Ideation and Thoughts of Death

Depression can be insidious and overwhelming. It tempts people with thoughts of ending everything to escape the exhausting symptoms. If you or a loved one is experiencing this symptom, seeking help is extremely urgent.

Other Symptoms

Other symptoms of depression include feelings of guilt or feeling worthless, difficulty thinking, and a decrease in cognitive functioning. People with depression may also exhibit increased restlessness along with physical activity for no purpose, like pacing around a room.

Types of Depression

Depression is an overarching term for a collection of more specific disorders, including major depression. Understanding the type of depression afflicting you or a loved one can help you select treatment and coping solutions.

Major Depression or Major Depressive Disorder

Major depression reigns among the most prevalent mental disorders found in the United States. Also known as clinical depression, this diagnosis requires at least two weeks of symptoms. It is the most severe type and among the most common types of depression.

Melancholia

This older term sometimes finds use as a description for severe depression based on biology, where depression’s physical symptoms are emphasized. The loss of pleasure in almost everything is more acute with melancholia.

Persistent Depressive Disorder or PDD

PDD is also known as dysthymia and refers to depression that has endured for at least two years on a typical basis. The symptoms of this type of depression may be less severe than others, but they linger.

Postnatal Depression

This type of depression is commonly referred to as the ‘baby blues’. It may affect as many as 80% of women post-birth.

Atypical Depression

This diagnosis is a variant of major depressive disorder. Its main distinction is that positive events can result in temporary mood improvements. Increased appetite is a primary symptom, as is rejection sensitivity.

Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is a condition whose sufferers experience times of depression and times of its opposite, known as mania. Mania is characterized by positive feelings and lots of energy. Mania can lead to too little sleep and risky decisions.

Seasonal Affective Disorder

This mood disorder manifests with a seasonal pattern but has no clear cause. Light exposure variations may underlie this condition. Diagnosis usually follows two winters of symptoms.

Depressive Disorders as Results of Other Medical Conditions

Many chronic medical conditions can trigger depression. Multiple sclerosis, arthritis, HIV, AIDS, lupus, diabetes, kidney disease, heart disease, and hypothyroidism can lead to this mental disorder.

Depression’s Causes and Risk Factors

Common knowledge holds that chemical imbalances in the brain cause depression, particularly with the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine. Cutting-edge research suggests that this isn’t true, but has yet to offer a concrete explanation to answer depression’s origins. Still, efforts reveal some factors that are often associated with depression.

Causes of Depression

The following are foundational elements that may contribute to or trigger depression:

• Brain Chemistry
• Hormones
• Genetics
• Abuse or history of abuse
• Conflict
• Significant and stressful events
• Medical conditions
• Substance use

Risk Factors Associated with Depression

Certain life elements can contribute to the likelihood of developing depression. These include:

• Age
• Gender
• Grieving
• Biological tendencies
• Chronic illness and pain

You or a loved one may have all or none of these conditions, however, and still have depression or manage to avoid it.

Assessment and Diagnosis of Depression

To reach a diagnosis of depression, doctors look at a thorough medical history. This will include symptoms, other medical conditions, medications, any use of recreational substances, family history, life events, and lifestyle. A blood draw and other medical tests may help reach a conclusion.

The symptoms’ severity and duration play a heavy role in whether or not a health provider determines someone has depression. The symptoms must interfere with normal life processes and must have endured for at least two weeks.

Treatment Approaches for Depression

The two main depression treatment options are medications and psychotherapy. Lifestyle changes can also impact the symptoms of depression.

A Two-Prong Approach

Most health teams concur that using both medications and psychotherapy brings about the best results in the treatment of depression. While medication can correct problems with the ways neurotransmitters are received, therapy offers active coping strategies to make use of the benefits of the medicines. For example, a physician may prescribe an SSRI to help maintain higher levels of serotonin, keeping the serotonin available to help message transmission between neurons. At the same time, the physician may refer clients to a counselor so they can talk through problems and work with them to create a clear plan of action to complement the medicine’s effects.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression

CBT for depression is designed to help the client understand the link between feelings, behaviors, and thoughts. With this type of therapy, you learn to replace unhelpful patterns of thought and action with beneficial ones. CBT is generally a highly structured treatment and requires you to work outside of therapy sessions.

Closer Examination of Medication Options

Most people have seen commercials for one antidepressant or another, but the types are diverse. These are the categories medications used to treat depression fall into:

• SSRIs or Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors
• SNRIs or Serotonin-norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors
• Tricyclic Antidepressants
• Atypical Antidepressants
• MAOIs or Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors

Coping Strategies for Symptoms of Depression

Depression impacts every aspect of life, but some life choices can help fight its symptoms. Knowing what to do and taking steps toward self-care for depression is vital. These actions include:

• Increasing your activity level
• Keeping in touch with your social circle
• Engaging in depression support groups
• Trying to eat healthy
• Avoiding over-indulgence in alcohol
• Reaching out for help
• Establishing a routine

With help and effort, coping with depressive thoughts is possible. However, it requires persistence and personal investment.

Support Networks and Depression Resources

Beyond knowing the facts of depression, getting help is paramount. Untreated depression can worsen until it shatters lives. There is help, however. While friends and family can assist, reaching out for professional guidance is a smart decision.

At Granite Recovery Centers, we create an individual plan to fit each client’s needs to help them achieve a healthier, happier life. We are prepared to focus on your healing with treatments such as CBT and peer-to-peer workshops. Depression is a mental disorder with many misconceptions that impact all parts of a person’s life. If you or someone you know is suffering from symptoms of depression, contact us today.