What is Depression?
Depression, also known as major depressive disorder, is a common and serious mental disorder where someone is negatively affected in the way that they feel, think, act, and perceive the world.
Almost 3 in 10 adults (around 29%) have been diagnosed with depression at some point in their lives, according to a national survey in 2023. Furthermore, women are more likely to have depression than men, and younger adults are more likely to experience it than older adults, as well. Although depression can happen at any age and at any time, it usually first appears in the late teens to mid-20s.
Depression can look different for different people. The symptoms can range from mild to severe and can include:
Feeling sad, irritable, empty, and/or hopeless
Losing interest in activities that you used to enjoy
Changes in appetite (eating less or more than usual) and/or weight (losing weight or gaining weight that is unrelated to dieting)
Having trouble sleeping (sleeping too much or too little)
Decrease in energy or increase in tiredness
Increase in purposeless physical activity (e.g., pacing)
Feeling worthless or guilty
Having trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions, and being forgetful
Thinking about death or wanting to hurt yourself
It is normal to feel sad or down sometimes, but if you have depression, these feelings and symptoms can happen during most of your day, almost every day, and for more than two weeks. It can also affect your daily functioning, like your work/school performance, personal relationships, hobbies, and more. The good news is that depression can be treated!
Risk Factors
Depression can happen to anyone, but many things can play a part in causing it:
Biochemical: Differences in certain chemicals in the brain can lead to symptoms of depression. These chemicals are also known as neurotransmitters, which include serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine.
Genetic: Depression can run in families. For example, if one identical twin has depression, there is a 70% chance of the other twin also having it at some point in life.
Personality: It is more likely for people who have low self-esteem, who get stressed easily, or who often feel negative to get depression.
Environmental: It can be more likely for someone to get depression if they are around violence, are not getting enough love/care, are being abused, or are very poor.
Treating Depression
Among mental disorders, depression is the most treatable. Around 70% to 90% of people with depression get better with treatment. To diagnose depression, a healthcare professional will ask you questions about how you are feeling and also about your health and family history. They will also do a physical check-up to make sure that there is not another health problem causing your symptoms. Based on all of this, the doctor will decide if you have depression and also what treatment might help you. The different kinds of treatment include:
Medication
Brain chemistry can play a part in depression and can affect how depression is treated. Therefore, doctors might suggest antidepressants, which are not like sedatives, stimulants, or tranquillizers, and they are not addictive.
Antidepressants can start to help within the first week or two, but can also take up to three months to see the full benefits. If someone does not feel a lot better after a few weeks of using antidepressants, their doctor might change the dose, try a different medication, or add another one. Sometimes, other kinds of medications can also help, including mood stabilizers. It is important to talk to your doctor if you are worried about your medication or if you have any side effects. Moreover, doctors usually suggest that people keep taking their antidepressants for 6 months or more, even after they start feeling better. This can help prevent depression from coming back, especially for people who have a family history of it.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy, also known as “talk therapy,” is another common way to treat depression. Specifically, one type of therapy is called Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), which helps you change how you think and how you act so you can feel better. It can be used alone or with antidepressants.
Therapy can be with just you and your therapist, or it can include other people. For example, there is family therapy or couples therapy, which can help with problems in those relationships specifically. In addition, there is group therapy where you can talk with other people who are also dealing with depression, which can help you feel supported and learn from each other. Treatment with psychotherapy can last for just a few weeks or even longer, depending on the severity of your depression. However, people can start to feel a lot better even in 10 to 15 sessions.
Self-Help and Coping
There are various things that people can do on their own to possibly reduce their symptoms of depression:
Doing regular exercise can help you feel better and also improve your mood
Getting enough sleep every day
Eating healthy food
Avoiding alcohol
Depression is a serious illness, but people can get better with the right help. Many people with depression can overcome it with the right treatment. If you think you might have depression, you can talk to your family doctor or a psychiatrist. You can talk about your feelings or concerns and request a thorough evaluation so they can see what might help you.
Related Conditions
Other conditions that are related to depression include:
Perinatal depression
Seasonal depression
Bipolar disorder
Persistent depressive disorder
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder
Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder
The Difference Between Depression and Sadness or Grief
Experiencing the loss of someone you love, a job, or a relationship can make you sad and it is normal to feel this way when something bad happens in your life. However, feeling sad due to a loss is different from having depression. Grieving is natural and different for everyone, but it can also be very similar to depression in a few ways. Both grief and depression can make someone feel very sad and want to be alone. However, there are significant differences:
With grief, the sadness can come and go. You might remember good times with the person or thing that you lost. With major depression, you feel sad most of the time for at least 2 weeks.
With grief, you can usually still feel good about yourself. With major depression, you might feel worthless and dislike yourself.
With grief, you might think about death in the sense of being with the person or thing that you lost. With major depression, you might think about ending your life due to feeling undeserving of living or not being able to cope with the pain of depression.
Furthermore, grief and depression can happen at the same time. When this happens, grief is usually more intense and will last longer than grief without depression. It is important to know the difference between grief and depression, so you can get the right help if you need it.
In conclusion, depression is a serious, but very treatable illness. It can make you feel very sad and different from your usual self. However, there are many ways to get help and feel better. The first step in feeling better can be talking to someone you trust: a family member, teacher, or doctor. Remember, you are not alone, and there are people who want to help you feel better!
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