Everyone feels down from time to time. You may be worried about yourself or a family member, or about something that’s going on in your life. These kinds of blues usually clear up in a day or two. But when your blue mood doesn’t go away, and when it starts to impact different areas of your life, you may be experiencing depression. Depression is marked by feelings of profound sadness and lack of interest in activities. It interferes with your ability to function and appreciate things in life. It can cause physical and emotional symptoms. Depression can last for weeks, months, or even years. People with depression rarely recover without treatment.
Risk factors include:
- Stressful life events (death of a loved one, moving, job loss, etc.)
- Chronic stress
- Low self-esteem
- Brain chemical and hormone imbalances
- Lack of control over circumstances (helplessness and hopelessness)
- Negative thought patterns and beliefs
- Chronic pain
- Heart disease and heart surgery
- Family history
- Parkinson’s disease
- “Baby” blues
- Seasonal affective disorder (a type of depression or a worsening of symptoms that occurs during fall and winter)
- Thyroid problems
- Cancer
- Substance abuse
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Women are more prone to depression, as are the elderly and anyone with a chronic physical or mental illness, including thyroid disease, headaches, chronic pain, and stroke. Certain medications, including those prescribed for asthma, high blood pressure, arthritis, high cholesterol, and heart problems, can also cause depression.
Symptoms differ for everyone and they can change over time. But generally, they include:
- Persistent feelings of sadness, anxiety, or emptiness
- Hopelessness
- Feeling guilty, worthless, or helpless
- Loss of interest in hobbies and activities
- Loss of interest in sex
- Feeling tired
- Trouble concentrating, remembering, or making decisions
- Trouble sleeping, waking up too early, or oversleeping
- Eating more or less than usual
- Weight gain or weight loss
- Thoughts of death or suicide with or without suicide attempts
- Restlessness or irritability
- Physical symptoms that defy standard diagnosis and do not respond well to medical treatments
There is no blood or diagnostic test for depression. The doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history. The doctor may also perform specific mental health exams to get information about your speech, thoughts, memory, and mood. A physical exam and other tests can help rule out other causes. Treatment for depression may include medicine and therapy.
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