Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. Also called 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. You may have trouble doing normal day-to-day activities, and sometimes you may feel as if life isn't worth living. More than just a bout of the blues, depression isn't a weakness and you can't simply "snap out" of it.
Depression may require long-term treatment. But don't get discouraged. Most people with depression feel better with medication, psychotherapy or both.
Depression care at Mayo Clinic. Although depression may occur only once during your life, people typically have multiple episodes. During these episodes, symptoms occur most of the day, nearly every day and may include:.
For many people with depression, symptoms usually are severe enough to cause noticeable problems in day-to-day activities, such as work, school, social activities or relationships with others. Some people may feel generally miserable or unhappy without really knowing why.
Common signs and symptoms of depression in children and teenagers are similar to those of adults, but there can be some differences. Depression is not a normal part of growing older, and it should never be taken lightly. Unfortunately, depression often goes undiagnosed and untreated in older adults, and they may feel reluctant to seek help.
Symptoms of depression may be different or less obvious in older adults, such as:. If you feel depressed, make an appointment to see your doctor or mental health professional as soon as you can.
If you're reluctant to seek treatment, talk to a friend or loved one, any health care professional, a faith leader, or someone else you trust. If you think you may hurt yourself or attempt suicide, call or your local emergency number immediately. If you have a loved one who is in danger of suicide or has made a suicide attempt, make sure someone stays with that person. Call or your local emergency number immediately. Take this self-test to get an indication of your anxiety levels.
Think about the last two weeks, rather than just today or yesterday. This test is just one part of an assessment of whether anxiety might be a problem for you. Talk to a trained counsellor at the Depression Helpline about how you are feeling or to ask a question.
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Self tests A self-test can help you decide what to do. Close X. They may also complain of headaches, stomachaches, or other physical pains. Older adults tend to complain more about the physical rather than the emotional signs and symptoms: things like fatigue, unexplained aches and pains, and memory problems. They may also neglect their personal appearance and stop taking critical medications for their health.
Depression comes in many shapes and forms. These are the most common types. More than simply feeling blue, the symptoms of mild depression can interfere with your daily life, robbing you of joy and motivation. Those symptoms become amplified in moderate depression and can lead to a decline in confidence and self-esteem.
More days than not, you feel mildly or moderately depressed, although you may have brief periods of normal mood. Major depression otherwise known as major depressive disorder is much less common than mild or moderate and is characterized by severe, relentless symptoms.
Atypical depression is a common subtype of major depressive disorder with a specific symptom pattern. It responds better to some therapies and medications than others, so identifying it can be helpful. For some people, the reduced daylight hours of winter lead to a form of depression known as seasonal affective disorder SAD.
SAD can make you feel like a completely different person to who you are in the summer: hopeless, sad, tense, or stressed, with no interest in friends or activities you normally love. SAD usually begins in fall or winter when the days become shorter and remains until the brighter days of spring. While some illnesses have a specific medical cause, making treatment straightforward, depression is far more complicated.
Certain medications, such as barbiturates, corticosteroids, benzodiazepines, opioid painkillers, and specific blood pressure medicine can trigger symptoms in some people—as can hypothyroidism an underactive thyroid gland. But most commonly, depression is caused by a combination of biological, psychological, and social factors that can vary wildly from one person to another.
Despite what you may have seen in TV ads, read in newspaper articles, or maybe even heard from a doctor, depression is not just the result of a chemical imbalance in the brain, having too much or too little of any brain chemical that can be simply cured with medication. Biological factors can certainly play a role in depression, including inflammation, hormonal changes, immune system suppression, abnormal activity in certain parts of the brain, nutritional deficiencies, and shrinking brain cells.
But psychological and social factors—such as past trauma, substance abuse, loneliness, low self-esteem, and lifestyle choices—can also play an enormous part. Depression most often results from a combination of factors, rather than one single cause. For example, if you went through a divorce, were diagnosed with a serious medical condition, or lost your job, the stress could prompt you to start drinking more, which in turn could cause you to withdraw from family and friends.
Those factors combined could then trigger depression. Loneliness and isolation. Not only can lack of social support heighten your risk, but having depression can cause you to withdraw from others, exacerbating feelings of isolation. Having close friends or family to talk to can help you maintain perspective on your issues and avoid having to deal with problems alone.
Marital or relationship problems. While a network of strong and supportive relationships can be crucial to good mental health, troubled, unhappy, or abusive relationships can have the opposite effect and increase your risk for depression. Recent stressful life experiences.
Major life changes, such as a bereavement, divorce, unemployment , or financial problems can often bring overwhelming levels of stress and increase your risk of developing depression. Chronic illness or pain. Unmanaged pain or being diagnosed with a serious illness , such as cancer, heart disease, or diabetes, can trigger feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. Family history of depression. Your lifestyle choices, relationships, and coping skills matter just as much as genetics.
Whether your personality traits are inherited from your parents or the result of life experiences, they can impact your risk of depression. They share many of the same characteristics, but there are important differences between them.
People who are grieving find their feelings of sadness and loss come and go, but they're still able to enjoy things and look forward to the future. In contrast, people who are depressed constantly feel sad. They find it difficult to enjoy anything or be positive about the future.
Read more about coping with grief and bereavement. There are different types of depression, and some conditions where depression may be one of the symptoms.
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