Depression: symptoms, causes, types and treatment

What is Depression,  its symptoms, causes, types and treatment. 

What is depression?

Depression is a mood disorder that causes a feeling of sadness, anger, loss of interest in person’s everyday activities and you may feel as if life isn't worth living. Depression also called major depressive disorder or clinical depression, which affects your feelings, thinking, behaviour and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems. It is different from the mood fluctuations that people regularly experience as a part of life.

 

Person experience depression in many ways. It may interfere with your daily activities, resulting in lower productivity and also influence relationships. 

Conditions that can get worse due to depression are mentioned below :

Asthma, arthritis, Heart disease, cancer, obesity, diabetes etc. 

Feeling low at times is a normal part of life. As sad and bad events comes to everyone's life. But, if you’re feeling hopeless and down on a regular basis, you could be dealing with depression. 

Depression is considered as a serious medical condition that can get worse if not take proper treatment. So proper and regular treatment helps to deal with depression symptoms in a better way. 

Symptoms of  Depression :

Although depression may occur only once during your life, but during depression phase, symptoms occur frequently, every day which may include:

• Feelings of sadness, emptiness or hopelessness, feels that there is nothing left in life and nobody understands. 

• Loss of interest in most activities, such as sex, hobbies or sports etc. 

• Angry outbursts,  mood swings, frustration even on small matters. 

• Trouble in concentrating, thinking and remembering. 

• Sleep disturbances like restless sleep, excessive sleepiness or not sleeping through the night. 

• Tiredness and lack of energy. 

• Anxiety or restlessness. 

• Feelings of worthlessness or guilt or self-blame for failure. 

• Frequent thoughts of death or suicide, suicide attempts or even suicide. 

The symptoms of depression can be different among men, women, and children and can extend beyond your mind.

Causes of Depression :

It's not known exactly what causes depression. They can range from biological causes to circumstantial with many mental disorders and also many other factors may be involved for this, such as:

• Family history: If you have a family history of depression then you are at higher risk for developing depression. 

• Hormonal imbalance: Changes in the body's hormonal balance may be involved in causing depression.

• Childhood trauma: Some events of your childhood also affect the way your body reacts to fear and stressful situations.

• Medical conditions: Personal history of mental illness and certain conditions may also put you at risk, like chronic illness, chronic pain, insomnia etc. 

• Stressful events: Such events like as loss of a loved one, failure in life, economic problems, or a divorce. 

Types of Depressions :

Some experience mild and temporary depression, while others experience severe.

There are many types of depression like major depressive disorder(MDD), Persistent depressive disorder(PDD), Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), Bipolar Disorder, Postpartum Depression (PPD), Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), Atypical Depression and more. 

But among of all of these two are major: 

Major depressive disorder and Persistent depressive disorder. 

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) 

Major depressive disorder also known as clinical depression is the more severe type of depression. Person experiences the majority of these symptoms for longer than a two-week period. 

Characterized by:

• Feeling depressed and sad most of the day

• Loss of interest in most regular activities

• Significant weight loss or gain

• Sleeping a lot or not at all

• Fatigue or low energy

• Feelings of worthlessness or guilt

• Thoughts of death or suicide

Persistent Depressive Disorder (PDD) 

Persistent depressive disorder (PDD)  also called dysthymia. It’s a milder, but chronic form of depression. In this type, symptoms must last for at least 2 years. PDD can affect your life more than major depression because of existing time period.

Characterized by:

• Anger and irritability

• Lose interest in normal daily activities

• Feel hopeless

• Trouble concentrating

• Lack productivity

• Changes in appetite

• Have low self-esteem

Prevention from Depression :

There's no sure way to prevent depression but some strategies and steps may help to control stress.

• Reach out to family and friends

• Get treatment at the earliest sign of a problem.

Treatment for Depression :

Dealing and living with depression or any disease can be difficult, but treatment can help in improving your quality of life by combining. 

• Exercise or physical activity

• Medical treatments

• Medications

• Light therapy

• Lifestyle therapies

• Psychotherapy

• Family or group therapy sessions

• Say no to alcohol and drugs

• One can also use Natural treatment for depression

• And Speaking with a therapist or doctor can help you learn skills to deal with negative feelings.