Primary Disease Name: Depression
What is Depression? What is a
Depressive Disorder?
Depression is a "whole-body" illness, involving your body, mood,
and thoughts. It affects the way you eat and sleep, the way you feel
about yourself, and the way you think about things. A depressive
disorder is not the same as a passing blue mood. It is not a sign of
personal weakness or a condition that can be willed or wished away.
People with a depressive illness cannot merely "pull themselves
together" and get better. Without treatment, symptoms can last for
weeks, months, or years. Appropriate treatment, however, can help
most people who suffer from depression.
The symptoms of depression may vary from person to person, and
also depend on the severity of the depression. Depression causes
changes in thinking, feeling, behavior, and physical well-being.
Changes in Thinking - You may experience
problems with concentration and decision making. Some people report
difficulty with short term memory, forgetting things all the time.
Negative thoughts and thinking are characteristic of depression.
Pessimism, poor self-esteem, excessive guilt, and self-criticism are
all common. Some people have self-destructive thoughts during a more
serious depression.
Changes in Feelings -
You may feel sad for no reason at all. Some people report that they
no longer enjoy activities that they once found pleasurable. You
might lack motivation, and become more apathetic. You might feel
"slowed down" and tired all the time. Sometimes irritability is a
problem, and you may have more difficulty controlling your temper.
In the extreme, depression is characterized by feelings of
helplessness and hopelessness.
Changes in
Behavior - Changes in behavior during depression are
reflective of the negative emotions being experienced. You might act
more apathetic, because that's how you feel. Some people do not feel
comfortable with other people, so social withdrawal is common. You
may experience a dramatic change in appetite, either eating more or
less. Because of the chronic sadness, excessive crying is common.
Some people complain about everything, and act out their anger with
temper outbursts. Sexual desire may disappear, resulting in lack of
sexual activity. In the extreme, people may neglect their personal
appearance, even neglecting basic hygiene. Needless to say, someone
who is this depressed does not do very much, so work productivity
and household responsibilities suffer. Some people even have trouble
getting out of bed.
Changes in Physical
Well-being - We already talked about the negative emotional
feelings experienced during depression, but these are coupled with
negative physical emotions as well. Chronic fatigue, despite
spending more time sleeping, is common. Some people can't sleep, or
don't sleep soundly. These individuals lay awake for hours, or
awaken many times during the night, and stare at the ceiling. Others
sleep many hours, even most of the day, although they still feel
tired. Many people lose their appetite, feel slowed down by
depression, and complain of many aches and pains. Others are
restless, and can't sit still.
Now imagine these symptoms
lasting for weeks or even months. Imagine feeling this way almost
all of the time. Depression is present if you experience many of
these symptoms for at least several weeks. Of course, it's not a
good idea to diagnose yourself. If you think that you might be
depressed, see a psychologist as soon as possible. A psychologist
can assess whether you are depressed, or just under a lot of stress
and feeling sad. Remember, depression is treatable. Instead of
worrying about whether you are depressed, do something about it.
Even if you don't feel like it right now.
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