Symptoms of Depression – Stuck in a Dark Hole Underwater
The symptoms of depression can feel like your soul is as heavy as metal and has sunk to the bottom of the lowest, darkest hole beneath the sea.
Depression: Signs of Risk
Clinical depression is an illness just like any other in that affects an organ of the human body: your brain. It has causes and symptoms just like any other physical illness. The symptoms of depression enable the diagnosis of the condition since the brain can’t be cut open to find the ‘disease.’
Recovery begins first with the diagnosis made by discussing the symptoms of depression symptoms, then with the treatment. You are not “crazy” if you are diagnosed with depression. Signs of going crazy of a different nature entirely. You have an illness, just like any other illness – treatable and not something you can wish away.
Debunking a Few Myths
There are enough myths floating around about symptoms of depression. Now it is time for a fact check.
Women are twice as likely to suffer from depression as men. Oftentimes, women take on the role of caregiver. As caregivers, we take on a lot of responsibility, including caring for the sick in the family and the elderly. Also, there are many instances throughout our lives that trigger hormonal changes: puberty, pregnancy and menopause to name a few. Hormonal imbalances can contribute to changes in brain functioning which can lead to depression.
Men and the Symptoms of Depression
Men are more likely to commit suicide as a result of depression. Fearing the stigma of depression that they may have been raised to believe, they are not forthcoming in admitting they have the condition. Instead of seeking help, they turn to substance abuse as a way of dealing with the feelings of depression. Alcoholism, drug abuse, working longer hours, can all be ways to escape their depression. Escaping depression leads to even deeper depression, and without treatment, these dark feelings can become overwhelming.
Family members who have experienced depression increase your risk. Genetics is typically a risk factor for many illnesses and diseases, and depression is no exception.
People with low self-esteem are prone to symptoms of depression and clinical depression. Without a support system to help bolster their feelings and give them an outlet, they may turn to other more destructive behaviors – drugs, promiscuity, and excessive risk taking. Their self-esteem issues coupled with their newfound coping mechanisms leave them vulnerable to depression.
Older people are at risk for depression. Some think that depression is a normal part of the aging process. But that is not true. Depression in any form at any age is not normal. Symptoms of depression in the elderly may be triggered by a number of things such as medication, loneliness, and loss of independent living. But often an older person is wrestling with the trauma of major declines in health. This can look and feel like post traumatic stress syndrome.
Working to decrease your risk factors for depression may help reduce your chance of getting this illness. Even though you can’t change some of these risk factors, you can develop stress management skills and create a support system of family and professionals. The more resources that you have at your disposal, the less likely depression will take over your life. Know the facts and use that knowledge to improve your chances of living a full, healthy life without depression stealing one moment of it!
Symptoms of Depression
Depression is a disorder that affects and is affected by the way chemicals called neurotransmitters react in the brain. When they are not in proper balance, you can experience changes in mood and behavior that last beyond a normal case of “the blues.” To recognize depression in yourself or a loved one, you’ll need to know the causes and symptoms of depression. Signs of clinical depression may come on slowly and so a person may not recognize how much they have changed until a family member points out the change in detail.
Understand that depression can happen to anyone. If you are diagnosed with a depressive disorder, you are not alone. The following will highlight causes and symptoms of major depression so you can be informed and aware of the signs to watch for.
Causes of Depression: Signs of Future Darkness
Many of the situations that can lead to depression in an individual you already know. This is the first step. We never know how an event will hit us or how we will deal with it. But, knowing a little about the causes of depression can help us implement coping skills that may reduce our chances of suffering a depressive episode.
1.Heredity – You can’t choose your family, but you can know all there is to know about them so you can prepare yourself and watch for symptoms. A family history of depression puts you at a much higher risk of developing depression than someone with no family history. So, whether you and your family like it or not, knowing about any depression in your family is key to preventing and treating it. Keeping depression in the family a secret will only harm everyone more for years to come.
2.Illness – When we get an unfavorable diagnosis, our world turns upside down. Feeling down and sad is one of the ways that we go through processing our situation. Prolonged illness can lead to depression especially if it is painful, terminal or there is no support system. Normal feelings of sadness or expected. However, those normal feelings may become more serious. Discuss your feelings openly with your doctor so that you both can be watching for signs of depression. If those sad feelings are turning into a serious depression, it should be treated immediately.
3.Stress – Stress really is a killer. Some people make light of that, talking about how they’re so “stressed out” all the time. But, the physical changes stress causes to the body can be devastating. Unmanaged stress symptoms can result in serious physical health concerns, negative thinking patterns, and dark moods, all predisposing you for depression.
4.Traumatic events – Overwhelming emotional events can overload the circuits of the brain to produce post traumatic stress syndrome which can include depression. Signs of the possibility of post traumatic stress syndrome can include: Death of a loved one, an accident, a divorce, loss of a job, a move, and even your retirement can cause trauma to your psyche. You may get through one traumatic episode just fine, but then another may happen, then another, then another, all snowballing into a serious case of depression.
We all know someone who seems to have gotten through a serious trauma, then does something like loses their car keys and bursts into tears. The original trauma is still hurting them and depression is most likely the culprit. Although classified as an anxiety disorder, post traumatic stress syndrome can create serious, debilitating depression. Signs of this syndrome include situational triggers that instantly place a person into an array of depression symptoms.
A List of Depression Symptoms
Everyone who experiences the events listed above won’t develop depression in their lives. But, they may. If you believe that you might be dealing with something of this nature, check your symptoms against those listed below.
- Loss of appetite
- Sad all the time
- Crying
- Excessive sleep
- Tired all the time
- Fatigue
- Anger
- Suicidal thoughts
- Inability to perform daily tasks
- Loss of interest in sex
- Physical pain in the joints
- Headaches
- Hopelessness in life
This is not a complete list of symptoms for everyone of all ages. The symptoms in younger children and teens manifest in some of the same ways, but not all. They may withdraw from friends and family or even lash out at others depending on the type of depressive disorder they suffer from. Older people may also withdraw, but in addition may become aggressive or unyielding.
Knowing about depression symptoms is the first step towards diagnosis and treatment. Go over the risk factors and the symptoms again for the information you need to help determine if you or someone you love may be suffering from depression. Signs of clinical depression can be difficult to discern, and so it is important that a person get a professional evaluation. If anything seems to describe yourself or someone you love, call your doctor immediately and start living the life you were meant to live – a healthy and happy one!
