DEPRESSION By Mary Nzume

Mary Nzume

 DEFINITION OF DEPRESSION

Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. Also called major depression, major depressive disorder or clinical depression, it affects how you feel, think and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems. 

SYMPTOMS

 symptoms may include;

Feelings of sadness, emptiness or unhappiness

Angry outbursts, irritability or frustration, even over small matters

Loss of interest or pleasure in normal activities, such as sex

Sleep disturbances, including insomnia or sleeping too much

Tiredness and lack of energy, so that even small tasks take extra effort

Changes in appetite — often reduced appetite and weight loss, but increased cravings for food and weight gain in some people

Anxiety, agitation or restlessness — for example, excessive worrying, pacing, hand-wringing or an inability to sit still

Slowed thinking, speaking or body movements

Feelings of worthlessness or guilt, fixating on past failures or blaming yourself for things that are not your responsibility

Trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions and remembering things

Frequent thoughts of death, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts or suicide

Unexplained physical problems, such as back pain or headaches.

Types of Depression

Depression affects each person in different ways, so symptoms caused by depression vary from person to person. To clarify the type of depression you have, your doctor may add information to your depression diagnosis called a specifier. Specifiers include having depression with specific features, such as:

Anxious distress — unusual restlessness or worry about possible events or loss of control

Melancholic features — severe depression with a profound lack of response to something that used to bring pleasure, associated with early morning awakening, worsened mood in the morning, significant changes in appetite, and feelings of guilt, agitation or sluggishness

Atypical features — ability to be cheered by happy events, increased appetite, little need for sleep, sensitivity to rejection, and a heavy feeling in arms or legs

Psychotic features — depression accompanied by delusions or hallucinations, which may involve themes of personal inadequacy or negative themes

Peripartum onset — occurs during pregnancy or in the weeks or months after delivery (postpartum)

Seasonal pattern — related to changes in seasons and diminished exposure to sunlight.

Depression symptoms in children and teens

Common symptoms of depression in children and teens are similar to those of adults, but there can be some differences.

In younger children, symptoms of depression may include sadness, irritability, clinginess, worry, aches and pains, refusing to go to school, or being underweight.

In teens, symptoms may include sadness, irritability, feeling negative and worthless, anger, poor performance or poor attendance at school, feeling misunderstood and extremely sensitive, using drugs or alcohol, eating or sleeping too much, self-harm, loss of interest in normal activities, and avoidance of social interaction.

Depression may occur with other mental health conditions, such as anxiety, eating disorders, substance abuse or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

COMPLICATIONS

Depression is a serious disorder that can take a terrible toll on individuals and families. Untreated depression can result in emotional, behavioral and health problems that affect every area of your life. Complications associated with depression may include:

Excess weight or obesity, which can lead to heart disease and diabetes

Alcohol or substance abuse

Anxiety, panic disorder or social phobia

Family conflicts, relationship difficulties, and work or school problems

Social isolation

Suicidal feelings, suicide attempts or suicide

Self-mutilation, such as cutting

Premature death from other medical conditions.

TREATMENTS AND MANAGEMENT

Numerous depression treatments are available. Medications and psychological counseling (psychotherapy) are very effective for most people.

Your primary care doctor or psychiatrist can prescribe medications to relieve depression symptoms. However, many people with depression also benefit from seeing a psychologist or other mental health counselor.

If you have severe depression, you may need a hospital stay, or you may need to participate in an outpatient treatment program until your symptoms improve.

Medications

Many types of antidepressant medications are available to treat depression. Discuss with your doctor for a better prescription.

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy is a general term for treating depression by talking about your condition and related issues with a mental health provider. Psychotherapy is also known as talk therapy, counseling or psychosocial therapy.

Psychotherapies can help you;

Adjust to a crisis or other current difficulty

Identify negative beliefs and behaviors and replace them with healthy, positive ones

Explore relationships and experiences, and develop positive interactions with others

Find better ways to cope and solve problems

Identify issues that contribute to your depression and change behaviors that make it worse

Regain a sense of satisfaction and control in your life and help ease depression symptoms, such as hopelessness and anger

Learn to set realistic goals for your life

Develop the ability to tolerate and accept distress using healthier behaviors.

Hospitalization and residential treatment programs

In some people, depression is so severe that a hospital stay is needed. Inpatient hospitalization may be necessary if you can't care for yourself properly or when you're in immediate danger of harming yourself or someone else. Psychiatric treatment at a hospital can help keep you calm and safe until your mood improves.

Partial hospitalization or day treatment programs also may help some people. These programs provide the outpatient support and counseling you need while you get symptoms under control.

Other treatment options

For some people, other procedures may be suggested:

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). In ECT, electrical currents are passed through the brain. This procedure is thought to affect levels of neurotransmitters in your brain and typically offers immediate relief of even severe depression when other treatments don't work. Physical side effects, such as headache, are tolerable. Some people also have memory loss, which is usually temporary. ECT is usually used for people who don't get better with medications, can't take antidepressants for health reasons or are at high risk of suicide.

LIFESTYLE AND HOME REMEDIES

There's no sure way to prevent depression. However, these strategies may help.

Take steps to control stress, to increase your resilience and to boost your self-esteem.

Reach out to family and friends, especially in times of crisis, to help you weather rough spells.

Get treatment at the earliest sign of a problem to help prevent depression from worsening.

Consider getting long-term maintenance treatment to help prevent a relapse of symptoms.

COPING AND SUPPORT

Talk to your doctor or therapist about improving your coping skills, and try these tips:

Simplify your life. Cut back on obligations when possible, and set reasonable goals for yourself. Give yourself permission to do less when you feel down.

Write in a journal. Journaling, as part of your treatment, may improve mood by allowing you to express pain, anger, fear or other emotions.

Read reputable self-help books and websites. Your doctor or therapist may be able to recommend books or websites to read.

Locate helpful organizations. Many organizations, such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA), offer education, support groups, counseling and other resources to help with depression. Employee assistance programs and religious organizations also may offer help for mental health concerns.

Don't become isolated. Try to participate in social activities, and get together with family or friends regularly.

Take care of yourself. Eat a healthy diet, be physically active and get plenty of sleep.

Learn ways to relax and manage your stress. Examples include meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, yoga and tai chi.

Structure your time. Plan your day. You may find it helps to make a list of daily tasks, use sticky notes as reminders or use a planner to stay organized.

Don't make important decisions when you're 

down. Avoid decision-making when you're feeling depressed, since you may not be thinking clearly.