Depression is a medical condition that affects mood and functional ability and also affects the quality of life. It is a common condition that can be prevented in some cases. Depression symptoms can drain one’s energy leaving that person fatigued. Every day with depression is different.
Who can have Depression?
Depression can affect anyone at any age. Research by NIH suggests that people are more likely to experience depression if they have a family history of depression, have a physical illness, are using certain substances or medications, or have experienced any stressful situation or trauma.
Symptoms of Depression
There can be a wide range of symptoms in a person who is fighting depression. Moreover, these include feeling sad or hopeless or anxious. People suffering from depression can have issues with memory and sleep. They can also have difficulties with eating and thinking. People fighting depression lose interest in daily activities and also experience changes in appetite.
Types of Depression
There are different types of depression according to causes and symptoms. These include:
Bipolar depression
Bipolar depression is characterized by alternating periods of low mood and high energy moods. People suffering from bipolar depression experience hopelessness and sadness and lack of energy during their low days.
Persistent depressive disorder
Persistent depressive disorder is a chronic form of depression. It is also termed dysthymia. This disorder is characterized by having feelings of hopelessness, lack of productivity, and having low self-esteem. Such feelings can last for years and may highly interfere with social life. People suffering from this condition tend to be unhappy even on happy occasions. As it is a chronic disorder it can be challenging while coping with the symptoms but through a combination of medications and psychotherapy, one can feel better.
Major depressive disorder
Also known as major depression or clinical depression is a significant form of depression that can affect a person’s personality and many other areas of life. It is a serious medical illness that negatively affects your way of thinking and feeling.
Perinatal and postpartum depression
Some women experience perinatal and postpartum depression around giving birth and after the baby is born. Furthermore, symptoms include increased anxiety, changes in appetite, trouble sleeping, low energy, poor fetal attachment, frequent crying, etc.
Psychotic depression
People suffering from psychotic depression have hallucinations and delusions like believing in things that are not reality-based or seeing and hearing things that actually do not exist.
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder
This is a severe form of the disorder that affects women in their menstrual days or even weeks before the menstrual period.
Causes of depression
There are different causes of depression. These include the following:
Substance misuse
A study suggests that close to 30% of people who do substance misuse can have clinical depression.
Serious illness
Similarly, some medical conditions or illnesses also give rise to depression.
Genes
Some people inherit depression. This means they have a family history of depression which puts them at risk for depression.
Specific medications
There are certain drugs including antiviral drugs, drugs for treating acne like isotretinoin, and corticosteroids which can increase the risk for depression.
Abuse
People who go through sexual or physical abuse or even mental abuse become more vulnerable to depression later on in their lives.
Complications of depression
Depression if left untreated can lead to serious complications. Moreover, these include:
- Suicidal attempts or feelings.
- Social isolation
- Obesity leads to heart disease and diabetes.
- Alcohol abuse.
- Drug abuse.
- Conflicts with family.
- Panic disorder.
- Anxiety
Best insomnia Drugs to Treat Depression
There are various over the counter sleeping Tablets and prescription medications or drugs that can treat depression. However, one of them is the hormone melatonin which is available over the counter. It is used to treat insomnia or sleep that gets disrupted by depression. Other drugs include:
- Zoloft
- Celexa
- Prozac
- Paxil
The above drugs are SSRIs or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors that are antidepressants used to treat the major depressive disorder and anxiety disorder. These drugs cure depression by increasing the level of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is also sometimes referred to as a feel-good hormone. Its job is to carry messages to brain cells and other parts of the body that contributes to good mood, well-being and also helps in regulating the sleep and wake cycle.
Apart from SSRIs, tricyclic antidepressants or TCAs can also be used to treat depression. Others include norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitors or NDRIs and monoamine oxidase inhibitors MAOIs as well.
Treating Depression
There is no one uniform treatment for curing depression. The treatment varies from person to person. Therefore, it is very important to determine what is the cause of depression. Is this a medical condition or due to any underlying medical condition? The level of treatment depends on the severity of depression. The more severe the depression, so the more intensive treatment. In addition, it requires some time to find the root cause of depression. Some ways to treat depression are as follows:
Therapy
Therapies like psychotherapy might be helpful to treat depression if there is no underlying cause for depression. Psychotherapy or talk therapy can be an extremely effective treatment as it helps you feel better by giving you such skills as to how to cope while being depressed and also helps prevent depression from coming back.
Antidepressants
Antidepressants are prescribed by doctors to treat depression. It may take a few weeks for the medication to start working. Some prescription antidepressants come with side effects as well which are temporary and improve with time.
Finding workable goals giving a sense of accomplishment
Set out workable goals and work through them so that you feel a sense of accomplishment. In order to achieve your goals, they should be manageable, realistic, and measurable. If something goes wrong during this try to figure out what went wrong and what can you learn from this versus feeling depressed or being judgmental.
Stay in present
Engaging yourself and staying in the present can help a lot. Being mindful and self-compassionate leads to having higher self-confidence and self-worth.
Exercise and eat right
Depression can also be overcome by doing regular exercises and by eating right. Eating healthy and in the right way makes you feel better and in a good mood. Also, perform the exercise in moderation like five times a day for half an hour just to keep your body relaxed.
Focus on people who are a big source of motivation for you
In order to cope with depression, focus on people who lift you up or are a big source of motivation for you. Work out into your relationships and do not isolate yourself from others. However, interacting with others can help you find a solution for your problem which leads to satisfaction.
Sleep regularly
A regular sleep schedule means you should be in bed on time and sleep for at least seven to eight hours at night. Sleeping irregularly is a way to feed depression.
Conclusion
However, by following these ways one can have higher chances of overcoming depression. Furthermore, apart from taking medications, follow a lifestyle that includes exercise and good eating habits to cope with depression.
