Depression, or unipolar depression, is an illness characterized by an extremely sad mood that lasts for a long period of time and a lack of interest or pleasure in doing things that a person usually enjoys.
Someone with depression also has problems sleeping , either sleeping too much or too little; trouble thinking and concentrating; low levels of energy; unexpected changes in weight; either gaining or losing weight; and feelings of nervousness or agitation. With severe depression, there can also be recurrent thoughts about dying or suicide attempts.
If people experience these symptoms for at least two weeks, they might be diagnosed as having a major depressive episode. Untreated, some major depressive episodes last for months. After a depressive episode ends, the person might return to feeling normal. However, after experiencing the first major depressive episode, the person is at more risk for experiencing a second one, and with each new episode the odds only get worse that and the depressive episodes will keep coming. Getting treatment for depression is important even if the person’s most recent depressive episode has ended.
Depression is not a sign of weakness or an inability to cope with normal problems. Most people with depression cannot treat the problem by themselves; they have a very pessimistic view about themselves, the world, and life in general. People with depression think of themselves as incapable of handling their problems, which is both a result of the disorder or its cause. Depression is a very serious problem that can affect anyone.
When people are suffering with depression, there are probably many days when they don’t feel like getting out of bed. Either they feel too tired or maybe they think thar since life in general feels hopeless or pointless so it is not worth trying. Depressed people feel sad, blue, sluggish, unmotivated, and empty inside, like there’s a part of themselves that’s missing. They might even experience headaches or body aches for which there are no apparent causes, feel restless and agitated, and find it difficult to concentrate.
In most cases of depression, the person no longer has an interest in pleasurable activities, like hobbies, exercising, socializing, or even sex. The person may be preoccupied with thoughts about death and dying. Often people with depression think about ways to kill themselves. A number of them actually try to commit suicide. Others who are no longer concerned if they live or die might frequently take dangerous risks..
Depression can also cause many problems in people’s relationships, especially marriages. Often, people who are depressed have problematic beliefs about their relationships. They may believe that they shouldn’t disagree with their partner, which puts added stress on both people. Some people who are depressed seek constant reassurance from their friends and loved ones, which strains those relationships. People with depression may do this to determine to find out if they’re still loved. But no amount of reassurance from the partner or friend ever seems to be enough.
Another type of depression is dysthymia; a type of depression that’s longer-lasting and seems to stay with the person for his or her entire life. In some ways, dysthymia might not be as severe or debilitating as a major depressive episode, because often the person can still function in everyday life. People with dysthymia also might not have as many problems with sleeping, thinking, or weight changes.
But because dysthymia is so constant and long lasting, it becomes a part of a person’s personality. A person with dysthymia might look generally unhappy or sad all of the time, and his or her mood might never return to a healthy state. A person with dysthymia might also experience depressive episodes at times. Depression and dysthymia, along with the bipolar disorders, are collectively referred to as mood disorders.
There are very effective treatments for depression that could help people avoid the long-term disability associated with the disorder. In general, more than 80 percent of the people who get appropriate treatment for their depression experience an improvement in their lives.
The majority of people who seek help for depression are given antidepressant medications. For some causes of depression, such as heredity, biology, illnesses, medications, and other substances, antidepressant medications might be the best initial treatment. In other cases, a combination of psychotherapy and antidepressants might be necessary, especially to treat chronic depression.
Whatever the treatment may be it is crucial that there is some sort of treatment plan. The risks of living depressed are to great and to live a life of misery and sadness is too much of a strain on a person physically and mentally. It is essential that the person receives treatment for themselves and for the people in their environment. Depression is a treatable disease and can be controlled so that the person can live their life with peace free from the chains of depression.
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