We all know what it’s like to feel sad over something that affects our self-esteem, a loss, or stress we can’t control. When intense sadness is overwhelming and accompanied by feelings like helplessness, hopelessness, guilt or worthlessness that get in the way of normal daily functioning, you are experiencing something more serious than sadness. Especially if it occurs for days or weeks, these feelings are most likely resulting from depression or a depressive disorder. There are a number of types of depressive disorders.
Major depressive disorder is the most classically known form of depression and is characterized by at least two weeks of clearly defined changes in emotions, cognition, neurovegetative functions and remissions. Major depressive disorder is distinct from grief and bereavement and normal sadness.
Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder is a disorder that presents in children up to age 12 who have persistent irritability coupled with extreme inability to control their behaviors. This may later turn into an anxiety disorder or depressive disorders as the child ages.
Dysthymia or persistent depressive disorder is a chronic form of depression that is diagnosed when mood disturbances last for longer than 2 years in adults or longer than 1 year in children.
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder is the expression of mood swings, depression, anxiety symptoms, and/or irritability that occur during the premenstrual phases of the menstrual cycle and remit at the onset of menses or shortly thereafter.
Depression is one of the more serious conditions due to its effect on thoughts, feelings, behaviors, mood and physical health. Although depression can be severe, preventing you from functioning normally in day-to-day activities, it is a treatable condition. At Abilene we are aware of how painful depression can be and we are here to help.
Statistics
The prevalence rates of major depression in the United States is approximately 7% however, there are significant differences between age groups. The prevalence rates in individuals ages 60 and older is three times lower than for individuals age 18 to 29. While there is no gender difference in rates of depression in childhood, beginning in adolescence females experience depression at rates 1.5 to 3 times higher than men. It has been hypothesized that the differences between genders may not be as high as the reports suggest as men may be more reluctant to admit to experiencing depression.
Co-Occurring Disorders
There are a number of different disorders that co-occur with depression. It has long been recognized that depression rarely occurs in the absence of anxiety. Other disorders that co-occur include:
- Substance use disorders
- Addiction
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Anorexia
- Bulimia
- Borderline personality disorder
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
However, depression and depressive episodes can occur in practically all major mental disorders depending upon the circumstances.
Causes
While no specific cause of depression has been isolated, it is generally believed that genetic, biological, psychological, and environmental factors act together in different ways to lead to the development of the disorder.
- Neurotransmitters: There are certain chemicals in the brain called neurotransmitters that are strongly linked to mood as well as translating emotional stimuli into the experience of mood and communicating the emotion to the rest of the brain. Long-standing theories have suggested that when these chemicals are out of balance, depression can result.
- Genetic: It has been recognized that depression runs in families. However many individuals with depression have no family history of the disorder. Current research is examining certain genes and the ways in which they interact as potential causes of depression.
- Physiological Predispositions: It appears that certain individuals are born with a genetic or other physiological predisposition to depression. However, whether or not this predisposition is expressed such that depression develops is believed to be dependent on exposure to negative environmental influences.
There are numerous hypotheses about the potential causes of depression. However, determining what actually causes depression is likely to be complex, with a number of different answers that apply to different people based on individual differences.
Symptoms
There are numerous symptoms of depression. These generally fall into the categories of mood symptoms, psychological symptoms, behavioral symptoms, and mood symptoms.
Mood Symptoms
- Depressed mood most of the day almost every day for two weeks
- Lack of sexual desire
- Loss of interest or enjoyment in practically all activities that were once found enjoyable
- Sense of being unimportant or feelings of shame with no reason
- Sadness
Psychological Symptoms
- Inability to make decisions
- Hopelessness
- Lack of a sense of self-worth
- Concentration attention and memory difficulties
- Lack of motivation
- Thoughts of suicide or having developed a plan to commit
- Easily distracted
Behavioral Symptoms
- Decelerated speech or reduced speech
- Social withdrawal
- Loss of productivity when attempting to complete tasks
- Psychomotor disruptions – agitation or slowed movement
Physical Symptoms
- Increase or decrease in appetite
- Irritability, impatience
- Feeling a lack of positive emotions
- Increase or decrease in sleep
- Fatigue
- Physical complaints, in particular pain
Effects of Depression
Given the wide range of symptoms involved, depression can affect every area of an individual’s life. Left untreated, depression can alter an individual’s life in significant and sometimes permanent ways. Some of the more frequent effects include:
- Increase in risky behaviors such as substance abuse, impulsive acts which could be dangerous - driving too fast, sexual promiscuity; some of which may be an attempt to cope through distraction or self-medication while others may be passive suicidal behavior
- Interpersonal problems leading to the loss of relationships and social support – this can be due to social rejection on the part of others or social withdrawal on the part of the individual
- Work or school problems due to lack of attention, concentration, and overall lowered productivity
- Immune system problems – depression can lead to physical illness resulting from an improvised immune system
- Suicide
- Pain especially headaches and stomach pain
- Sexual dysfunction resulting either directly as a result of the depression in the form of lack of desire or indirectly as a side effect of certain medications used to treat depression