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Although everyone has been sad at some point in their lives, not everyone has struggled with depression. In point of fact, if you have never experienced depression, there is a good possibility that you do not have a solid understanding of what it is like to live with this complicated mental condition.
Depression may sneak up on you. It has an impact not just on your state of mind, but also on your capacity to think, feel, and operate. It lessens the intensity of pleasurable feelings, prevents people from feeling connected to one another, stifles creative expression, and, at its worst, extinguishes hope. In addition, it often causes profound emotional suffering not just for the individual who is going through it, but also for the person’s close family members and friends.
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Signs and Symptoms of Depression
If feelings of melancholy aren’t sufficient to diagnose depression, then what is? If you have experienced at least five of the following symptoms for the majority of the day, nearly every day, for at least two weeks, you may be diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD), which is also known as clinical depression. This is according to the most recent Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), which is the diagnostic guide used by the majority of mental health professionals.
a feeling of wretchedness, emptiness, or uselessness
You no longer have the same level of interest or pleasure in the things you formerly loved, such as your career, hobbies, friends, or family.
Any significant shifts, either up or down, in either your appetite or your weight that are not directly connected to dieting Experiencing feelings of listlessness or exhaustion for no apparent cause may be quite concerning.
Having difficulty focusing and making judgments
Anxious restlessness that shows itself in behaviors such as walking in place or wringing your hands, or the contrary, moving or speaking more slowly than is typical for the individual.
Insomnia or excessive amounts of sleep recurring ideas of ending one’s own life or taking one’s own life
Causes and Risk Factors of Depression
No one can say with absolute certainty why some individuals get depression while others do not. There isn’t always a rational explanation for why someone develops depression. In addition, it is widely established that people who have had one episode of depression are at an increased risk of experiencing another episode at a later point in their lives.
According to a study that was published in August 2019 in Psychiatric Times, modern psychiatrists tend to view depression in “bio-psycho-social” terms. This means that they view it as a complex disorder that is most likely triggered by overlapping biological, psychological, and social (also referred to as environmental) factors.
There are a number of factors that might potentially lead to depression, including:
What is genetics? There have been a number of studies that point to a genetic predisposition as a possible cause of depression. One such research, which was conducted on a global scale and included the participation of more than 807,000 individuals, was featured in the issue of Nature Neuroscience that was published in February 2019 and connected 269 genes to depression. However, it is not thought that genes alone are responsible for writing your fate. Although some genes may enhance the risk, scientists believe that additional conditions are required in order to manifest the symptoms of the disease.
It’s all about those neurotransmitters. According to a comprehensive study that was published in July 2022 in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, a theory that has been around for a long time suggesting that depression is caused by low levels of particular neurotransmitters (chemical messengers that interact between neurons) has been shown to be false. On the other hand, it cannot be denied that neurotransmitters play a part, at least for certain individuals. According to Harvard Medical School, the prevalent opinion among specialists is that the connection between depressive symptoms and neurotransmitters is a complicated one, and it may be linked to the connections between brain cells, the development of nerve cells, or the operation of neuronal circuits.
inflammatory response Multiple studies indicate that disease-related or stress-related inflammation may create chemical changes in the brain that can trigger or worsen depression in certain people and influence how a person responds to drug therapy, according to a study published May 2018 in Psychiatric Times.
Challenges faced According to the World Health Organization, there is growing evidence that certain psychological and social factors, such as a history of abuse, poor health and nutrition, unemployment, social isolation or loneliness, low socioeconomic status, or stressful life events (for example, divorce or money worries), can play a decisive role in the onset of depression. For example, adults with MDD have double the rate of childhood trauma compared with people without MDD, a study published May 3, 2016, in the journal Translational Psychiatry showed.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Traumatic brain injury is another major factor that may lead to depression. In 2019, more than 223,000 people were hospitalized for TBIs (aka concussions) following a bump or blow to the head from things like falls, assaults, car accidents, and workplace and sports-related injuries, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And more than half of those patients will meet the criteria for major depression three months after their injury, suggests a study published November 30, 2017, in the journal Brain Injury.
How Is Depression Diagnosed?
No one can say with absolute certainty why some individuals get depression while others do not. There isn’t always a rational explanation for why someone develops depression. In addition, it is widely established that people who have had one episode of depression are at an increased risk of experiencing another episode at a later point in their lives.
According to a study that was published in August 2019 in Psychiatric Times, modern psychiatrists tend to view depression in “bio-psycho-social” terms. This means that they view it as a complex disorder that is most likely triggered by overlapping biological, psychological, and social (also referred to as environmental) factors.
There are a number of factors that might potentially lead to depression, including:
What is genetics? There have been a number of studies that point to a genetic predisposition as a possible cause of depression. One such research, which was conducted on a global scale and included the participation of more than 807,000 individuals, was featured in the issue of Nature Neuroscience that was published in February 2019 and connected 269 genes to depression. However, it is not thought that genes alone are responsible for writing your fate. Although some genes may enhance the risk, scientists believe that additional conditions are required in order to manifest the symptoms of the disease.
It’s all about those neurotransmitters. According to a comprehensive study that was published in July 2022 in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, a theory that has been around for a long time suggesting that depression is caused by low levels of particular neurotransmitters (chemical messengers that interact between neurons) has been shown to be false. On the other hand, it cannot be denied that neurotransmitters play a part, at least for certain individuals. According to Harvard Medical School, the prevalent opinion among specialists is that the connection between depressive symptoms and neurotransmitters is a complicated one, and it may be linked to the connections between brain cells, the development of nerve cells, or the operation of neuronal circuits.
inflammatory response According to a research that was published in May 2018 in Psychiatric Times, many studies show that inflammation caused by illness or stress may induce chemical changes in the brain that may trigger or aggravate depression in some individuals and impact how a person reacts to medication treatment. These changes can also influence how a person responds to drug therapy.
Challenges faced According to the World Health Organization, there is growing evidence that certain psychological and social factors, such as a history of abuse, poor health and nutrition, unemployment, social isolation or loneliness, low socioeconomic status, or stressful life events (for example, divorce or money worries), can play a decisive role in the onset of depression. For instance, according to a research that was published on May 3, 2016, in the journal Translational Psychiatry, individuals who have major depressive disorder had double the incidence of childhood trauma as compared to persons who do not have major depressive disorder.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Traumatic brain injury is another major factor that may lead to depression. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 223,000 individuals were hospitalized for traumatic brain injuries (also known as concussions) in 2019. These injuries may be caused by a jolt or blow to the head and can be caused by things such as falls, attacks, automobile accidents, and injuries that occur in the job or while participating in sports. According to the findings of a research that was published in the journal Brain Injury on November 30, 2017, more than half of these individuals would fulfill the diagnostic criteria for serious depression three months following their injury.
What Are the Different Types of Depression?
According to the Cleveland Clinic, persons are considered to have the condition known as persistent depressive disorder (PDD) if they exhibit at least two of the symptoms of severe depression for at least two years at a time. Previously, this condition was known as dysthymia. It is common to have periods of severe symptoms followed by periods of less severe symptoms, and it is also possible to have both PDD and MDD at the same time, which is a condition known as double depression. People who have PDD are often misunderstood and seen as grumpy, gloomy, changeable, or pessimistic as opposed to being identified as having a disease that may be treated.
According to the American Psychiatric Association, bipolar disorder, which was originally known as manic-depressive illness, is characterized by moods that fluctuate between extreme highs (mania) and lows (depression), typically with intervals of normal mood in between. Bipolar disorder was formerly known as manic-depressive sickness. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, individuals in the United States have an incidence of bipolar disorder of 2.8 percent.
According to the Mayo Clinic, seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a kind of sadness that manifests itself at the same time each year. According to the Mayo Clinic, SAD typically starts in the autumn and continues into the winter. Alterations in the amount of sunshine that a person is exposed to are linked to seasonal affective disorder (SAD), which is often accompanied by an increase in the amount of sleep that one gets, an increase in weight, and an increased desire for foods that are rich in carbs.
A more severe type of premenstrual syndrome known as premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) sometimes goes by the name “premenstrual syndrome.” According to the Office of Women’s Health, premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) often begins to manifest itself in a woman one to two weeks before to the onset of her period and continues until two or three days following the beginning of menstruation.
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, a woman is considered to have postpartum depression (also known as perinatal depression or PPD) if she exhibits signs of significant depression within a short period of time after giving birth (or while she is pregnant). PPD is often caused by a confluence of variables, one of which is the dramatic shift in hormone levels that occurs after giving birth. The “baby blues” are relatively moderate symptoms of melancholy and anxiety that many new moms experience in the first few days after delivery. However, feelings of extreme sorrow, worry, or weariness are far more powerful and linger for a longer period of time than the “baby blues.”
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Depression: Recognizing Unusual Symptoms
One of the reasons why depression might be difficult to diagnose is that its symptoms can vary greatly from person to person and can occasionally be obscured by symptoms that are not characteristic of the condition. For instance, some persons who are sad may exhibit symptoms such as appearing irritated, resentful, or displeased in order to convey their condition. According to a paper that was published in February 2017 in Psychiatric Times, aggressive behavior, including overt acts of violence, may be an indicator of “hidden” sadness in certain people. It may come as a surprise to learn that depression may masquerade as rage, but this is not the case when you consider the fact that various underlying variables, such as drug misuse or alcoholism and traumatic experiences in childhood, have been connected to both conditions.
In a similar vein, a person who suffers from anxiety is at an increased risk for getting depression, although it is unclear why this is the case, and vice versa. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), as many as sixty percent of individuals who suffer from anxiety will also have symptoms of depression. The same is true for persons who suffer from depression, as they will also have symptoms of anxiety. According to Hart grove Behavioral Health System, experts agree that there is often a hereditary propensity for individuals to develop both of these co-occurring illnesses.
According to a review that was published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, depression can also present itself psychosomatically. This means that rather than presenting first and foremost as a mood disorder, the dominant symptom may be something like vague aches, dizziness, headaches, digestive problems, or back pain. The fact that it is sometimes difficult to determine which comes first—the physical symptoms that are producing sadness or the depression that is driving the physical symptoms—further complicates the situation.
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