Depression is a mood disorder that can cause you to have persistent feelings of sadness. It might cause some people to lose interest in things they previously found fun. Depression goes by many names in the medical world. It can sometimes be referred to as clinical depression or major depression. Major depressive disorder is common in modern society. It affects different facets of your life, including how you feel, how you think, and how you react to different situations. Understanding the signs of depression is the first step in getting effective treatment.
As with any other mental health disorder, depression can cause emotional and physical problems in your life. The symptoms can cause you to lose your ability to function effectively at work and home. It would be best if you only got a diagnosis done by a licensed therapist.
Common Symptoms of Depression
Every case of depression is different, as unique as the individual. Here are some of the common signs of depression:
- You might get feelings of sadness, tearfulness, emptiness, and hopelessness.
- Loss of interest or pleasure in activities or things that you previously found enjoyable
- Feeling fatigued is not caused by an underlying illness.
- Sometimes patients feel anxious, agitated, and restless.
- It might seem impossible to focus on one task.
- Your thoughts might seem disoriented and all over the place.
- Unexplainable physical pain and other health issues
- Patients often get frequent thoughts of death, suicidal thoughts, which often lead to suicide attempts, and death by suicide.
- Patients report feelings of worthlessness or guilt and tend to fixate on past failures and blame themselves for things they are not responsible for.
- Patients can get unexplainable loss of appetite and weight loss. Some patients will gain an insatiable appetite and gain weight rapidly.
- Some patients will appear slow and sluggish.
- Inconsistent sleep patterns may cause fatigue and lack of focus. Some patients report an inability to fall asleep or wake up after hours of sleep.
Depression is managed by long-term treatment. Contrary to public belief, people cannot just snap out of depression. Getting out of depression requires a lot of hard work and support from loved ones and friends. For many patients, the symptoms can be so severe that they cannot function in society.
Depression in Children and Teenagers
Yes, children can suffer from depression. The symptoms in children and teens may not be as pronounced because most parents or guardians associate abnormal behavior with temper tantrums, bad manners, and poor etiquette. Some of the symptoms of depression in children and teenagers include;
Irritability, sadness, clinginess, worry, aches, and pains, refusing to go to school, and unexplainable weight loss
In teenagers, symptoms may include
- Anger
- Poor performance
- Poor attendance at school
- Feelings of worthlessness
- Loss of interest in usual activities
- Avoidance of social interaction
- Eating or sleeping too much
- Feelings of self-loathing
- Feeling misunderstood
What Causes Depression?
One of the ways you can differentiate depression from other disorders is by the causative agent. Here are some of the causes of depression in patients;
Hormones– An imbalance of hormones in the body may cause depression. For women, this may occur with pregnancy and menstrual cycles.
Inherent traits– Depression is more common in people whose blood relatives have a history of the condition.
Biological differences– People who suffer from depression appear to have physical changes in their brains. How these changes affect the person on a day-to-day scale has not been quantified yet, but it is helpful when pinpointing causes.
How Can You Get Help?
If you are experiencing signs of depression, and think you need help, seek help from a professional. Always remember that depression isn’t something to be ashamed of in any way, and there is always help if you need it. Contact me today to schedule an appointment!