Invisible Illness Spotlight: Depression

What Is Depression?

Being depressed often feels like carrying a very heavy burden, but you are not alone in this struggle. Millions of Americans suffer from some form of depression every year, making it one of the most common mental disorders in the country.

Gaining a deeper understanding of depression can help begin the journey to recovery. Taking some time to learn more about the causes and symptoms of depression will assist you greatly when it comes time to consider methods of treatment.

Depression is more than just feeling sad. Everyone feels upset or unmotivated from time to time, but depression is more serious. It is a mood disorder characterized by prolonged feelings of sadness and loss of interest in daily activities. If these symptoms persist for a period of at least two weeks, it is considered a depressive episode.

Causes of Depression:

There is no one cause for depression, as it depends on a unique combination of an individual’s genetic makeup and environmental conditions. There are many factors to take into account:

The brain’s physical structure or chemistry

History of depression in family

History of other disorders (anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder)

Stressful, traumatic events (abuse, financial issues, death of a loved one)

Hormone changes (menstrual cycles, pregnancy)

Certain medications (sleeping aids, blood pressure medication)

Types of Depression

Just as there is no one cause for depression, there isn’t only one type of depression. It can take many forms. The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders lists nine distinct types:

Major depression, as we discussed, is the most common type of depression. Often, people with major depression experience recurrent episodes throughout their lives.

Dysthymia is a persistent low mood over a long period of time, even a year or more. It could be described as feeling like you’re living on autopilot.

Some people are more sensitive to the lower amount of light in the wintertime. Seasonal Affective Disorder is a type of depression brought on from a lack of natural sunlight.

Those with Atypical Depression often report feeling a heaviness in their limbs. They may suffer from irritability and relationship problems, as well as be prone to overeating and oversleeping.

Bipolar Disorder is also called Manic Depressive Disorder because it involves alternating between mania and depressive episodes.

Sometimes depressive episodes can get so severe that hallucinations or delusions are present, the person becomes catatonic, or they feel stuck in bed. This is known as Psychotic Depression.

Postpartum Depression occurs after giving birth. Mothers may feel disconnected from their new baby or fear that they will hurt their child.

Severe depression that shows up during the second half of the menstrual cycle is called Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder. It affects the individual’s ability to function normally.

Situational Depression is triggered by a life-changing event. It could be anything, from losing your job to the death of an immediate family member.

Signs and Symptoms of Depression:

Though there are multiple types of depression, many of them have similar recognizable symptoms. This list scratches the surface, but it provides a general idea of what comprises depression:

Persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, worthlessness, or emptiness

Irritability, frustration, or restlessness

Loss of interest in activities or hobbies that used to be enjoyable

Difficulty sleeping, sleep disturbances, or sleeping too much

Fatigue and lack of energy

Difficulty thinking clearly, remembering, concentrating, or making decisions

Appetite or weight changes

Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide

Physical symptoms such as headaches, stomachaches, or back pain

Experiencing some combination of these symptoms for a period of at least two weeks likely signifies that you are in the midst of a depressive episode.

How to Help Someone With Depression:

Say something! Sometimes outsiders can notice changes in people before they may even recognize changes in themselves. So, it is important to know how to handle a situation if you think someone you know may be struggling with depression.

The best approach is to communicate 1) the changes you have noticed, 2) that you care and 3) ask how you can help them take action towards seeking help, or in the case of a teen helping another teen, help them talk to a trusted adult.

What if they’re talking about suicide? If when having this conversation you are worried that this person is thinking of suicide or hurting themselves, action must be taken immediately. If you are a teen, an adult must be notified – preferably your friend’s parent(s). A friend may ask you to keep this information a secret, but when it comes to matters of safety, keeping a secret can cost a life. If you are an adult, notify the teen’s parents and make sure not to leave them alone until they are in their parents care. If you are a parent, take your child to the nearest hospital for an evaluation.

Take care of yourself, too. One word of caution. It is important to take care of yourself and understand there are limits to the kind of support you can provide to someone with depression.  Often, a person can take on too much responsibility for helping a loved one with depression and this can begin to cause you stress. Remember, it’s your job is to listen, show compassion and help a someone with depression find professional help.

If you are in need of support for yourself, check out a NAMI near you for support groups.

Supporting their treatment. You can make someone’s experience in treatment less daunting and more comfortable if you can help them see that what they are doing is the right choice.

Check-in. It is not your job to provide therapy, but you can make sure that the help they are receiving is on the right track by checking in on how they are feeling and coping.

Encourage them to do the things they used to love. Depression makes you want to pull back from the people and things you love in life. Having someone to help you to socialize or get back into the activities that used to bring happiness can help someone get back on the road to feeling like their old selves again.

Validate how they feel. Depression doesn’t always make sense to those of us watching a loved one from the outside. However, even though they have a seemingly normal life, their feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness and sadness are very real. Validate those feelings by saying how hard that must be to feel that way and challenge them to see the good. Always remind a person with depression that feelings are like waves – they can knock us off our feet for a bit, but they will recede eventually.

Advocate for healthy choices. Making healthy choices about what we eat, drink, how much sleep we get and exercise we engage in can make a big difference in the way we feel. Help the person in your life make these healthy choices. 

Info from: https://www.psycom.net/depression.central.html

https://www.erikaslighthouse.org/the-toolbox/help-someone