Depression is classified as a mood disorder. It may be described as feelings of sadness, loss, or anger that interfere with a person’s everyday activities.
It’s also fairly common. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 8.1 percent of American adults ages 20 and over had depression in any given two-week period from 2013 to 2016.
People experience depression in different ways. It may interfere with your daily work, resulting in lost time and lower productivity. It also can influence relationships and some chronic health conditions.
Conditions that can get worse due to depression include:
- arthritis
- asthma
- cardiovascular disease
- cancer
- diabetes
- obesity
It’s important to realize that feeling down at times is a normal part of life. Sad and upsetting events happen to everyone. But, if you’re feeling miserable or hopeless on a regular basis, you could be dealing with depression.
Depression is considered a serious medical condition, and it can get worse without proper treatment. Yet, those who seek treatment often see improvements in symptoms in just a few weeks.
Depression can be more than a constant state of sadness or feeling “blue.”
Major depression can cause a variety of symptoms. Some affect your mood, and others affect your body. Symptoms may also be ongoing or come and go.
Depression can affect men, women, and children differently.
Symptoms of depression in men may include:
- Mood: anger, aggressiveness, irritability, anxiousness, restlessness
- Emotional: feeling empty, sad, hopeless
- Behavioral: loss of interest, no longer finding pleasure in favorite activities, feeling tired easily, thoughts of suicide, drinking excessively, using drugs, engaging in high-risk activities
- Sexual: reduced sexual desire, lack of sexual performance
- Cognitive: inability to concentrate, difficulty completing tasks, delayed responses during conversations
- Sleep: insomnia, restless sleep, excessive sleepiness, not sleeping through the night
- Physical: fatigue, pains, headache, digestive problems
Symptoms of depression in women may include:
- Mood: irritability
- Emotional: feeling sad or empty, anxious or hopeless
- Behavioral: loss of interest in activities, withdrawing from social engagements, thoughts of suicide
- Cognitive: thinking or talking more slowly
- Sleep: difficulty sleeping through the night, waking early, sleeping too much
- Physical: decreased energy, greater fatigue, changes in appetite, weight changes, aches, pain, headaches, increased cramps
Symptoms of depression in children may include:
- Mood: irritability, anger, mood swings, crying
- Emotional: feelings of incompetence (e.g. “I can’t do anything right”) or despair, crying, intense sadness
- Behavioral: getting into trouble at school or refusing to go to school, avoiding friends or siblings, thoughts of death or suicide
- Cognitive: difficulty concentrating, decline in school performance, changes in grades
- Sleep: difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much
- Physical: loss of energy, digestive problems, changes in appetite, weight loss or gain
The symptoms can extend beyond your mind. These eight physical symptoms of depression prove that depression isn’t just all in your head.
There are several possible causes of depression. They can range from biological to circumstantial.
Common causes include:
- Family history. You’re at a higher risk for developing depression if you have a family history of depression or another mood disorder.
- Early childhood trauma. Some events impact the way that body reacts to fear and stressful situations.
- Brain structure. There’s a greater risk for depression if the frontal lobe of your brain is less active. However, scientists don’t know if this happens before or after the onset of depressive symptoms.
- Medical conditions. Certain conditions may put you at higher risk, such as chronic illness, insomnia, chronic pain, or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
- Drug use. A history of drug or alcohol misuse can impact your risk.
Many other people may never learn the cause of their depression.
About 30 percent of people who have a substance use problem also experience depression. In addition to these causes, other risk factors for depression include:
- low self-esteem or being self-critical
- personal history of mental illness
- certain medications
- stressful events, such as loss of a loved one, economic problems, or a divorce
Many factors can influence feelings of depression, as well as who develops it and who doesn’t. The causes of depression are often tied to other elements of your health.
There isn’t a single test to diagnose depression. But your doctor can make a diagnosis based on your symptoms and a psychological evaluation.
In most cases, your doctor will ask a series of questions about your moods, appetite, sleep pattern, activity level, and thoughts.
Because depression can be linked to other health problems, your doctor may also conduct a physical examination and order blood work. Sometimes thyroid problems or a vitamin D deficiency can trigger symptoms of depression.
Don’t ignore symptoms of depression. If your mood doesn’t improve or gets worse, seek medical help. Depression is a serious mental illness with risks of complications.
If left untreated, complications include:
- weight gain or loss
- physical pain
- substance use problems
- panic attacks
- relationship problems
- social isolation
- suicidal thoughts
- self-mutilation
Depression can be broken into categories depending on the severity of symptoms. Some people experience mild and temporary episodes, while others experience severe and ongoing depressive episodes.
There are two main types: major depressive disorder and persistent depressive disorder.
Major depressive disorder
Major depressive disorder is the more severe form of depression. It’s characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and worthlessness that don’t go away on their own.
In order to be diagnosed with clinical depression, you must experience 5 or more of the following symptoms over a two-week period:
- feeling depressed most of the day
- loss of interest in most regular activities
- significant weight loss or gain
- sleeping too much or not being able to sleep
- slowed thinking or movement
- fatigue or low energy most days
- feelings of worthlessness or guilt
- loss of concentration or indecisiveness
- recurring thoughts of death or suicide
There are different subtypes of major depressive disorder (which the American Psychiatric Association refers to as “specifiers”). These include:
- atypical features
- anxious distress
- mixed features
- peripartum onset, during pregnancy or right after giving birth
- seasonal patterns
- melancholic features
- psychotic features
- catatonia
Persistent depressive disorder
Persistent depressive disorder (PDD) used to be called dysthymia. It’s a milder, but chronic, form of depression.
In order for the diagnosis to be made, symptoms must last for at least two years. PDD can affect your life more than major depression because it lasts for a longer period.
It’s common for people with PDD to:
- lose interest in normal daily activities
- feel hopeless
- lack productivity
- have low self-esteem
Depression can be treated successfully, but it’s important to stick to your treatment plan. Read more about why depression treatment is important.
Living with depression can be difficult, but treatment can help improve your quality of life. Talk to your doctor about possible options.
You may successfully manage symptoms with one form of treatment, or you may find that a combination of treatments works best. It’s common to combine medical treatments and lifestyle therapies, including the following:
Medications
Your doctor may prescribe antidepressants, antianxiety, or antipsychotic medications.
Each type of medication that’s used to treat depression has benefits and potential risks.
Psychotherapy
Speaking with a therapist can help you learn skills to cope with negative feelings. You may also benefit from family or group therapy sessions.
Light therapy
Exposure to doses of white light can help regulate mood and improve symptoms of depression. This therapy is commonly used in seasonal affective disorder (which is now called major depressive disorder with seasonal pattern).
Alternative therapies
Ask your doctor about acupuncture or meditation. Some herbal supplements are also used to treat depression, like St. John’s wort, SAMe, and fish oil.
Talk with your doctor before taking a supplement or combining a supplement with prescription medication because some supplements can react with certain medications. Some supplements may also worsen depression or reduce the effectiveness of medication.
Exercise
Aim for 30 minutes of physical activity three to five days a week. Exercise can increase your body’s production of endorphins, which are hormones that improve your mood.
Avoid alcohol and drugs
Drinking or using drugs may make you feel better for a little bit. But in the long run, these substances can make depression and anxiety symptoms worse.
Learn how to say no
Feeling overwhelmed can worsen anxiety and depression symptoms. Setting boundaries in your professional and personal life can help you feel better.
Take care of yourself
You can also improve symptoms of depression by taking care of yourself. This includes getting plenty of sleep, eating a healthy diet, avoiding negative people, and participating in enjoyable activities.
Sometimes depression doesn’t respond to medication. Your doctor may recommend other treatment options if your symptoms don’t improve.
These include electroconvulsive therapy, or transcranial magnetic stimulation to treat depression and improve your mood.
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