Depression
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Depression
Understanding Depression
Overview
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 symptoms in older adults
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:
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Memory difficulties or personality changes
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Physical aches or pain
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Fatigue, loss of appetite, sleep problems or loss of interest in sex — not caused by a medical condition or medication
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Often wanting to stay at home, rather than going out to socialize or doing new things
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Suicidal thinking or feelings, especially in older men
When to see a doctor
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.
Prevention
There's no sure way to prevent depression. However, these strategies may help.
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Take steps to control stress, to increase your resilience and boost your self-esteem.
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Reach out to family and friends, especially in times of crisis, to help you weather rough spells.
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Get treatment at the earliest sign of a problem to help prevent depression from worsening.
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Consider getting long-term maintenance treatment to help prevent a relapse of symptoms.
Symptoms
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:
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Feelings of sadness, tearfulness, emptiness or hopelessness
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Angry outbursts, irritability or frustration, even over small matters
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Loss of interest or pleasure in most or all normal activities, such as hobbies or sports
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Sleep disturbances, including insomnia or sleeping too much
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Tiredness and lack of energy, so even small tasks take extra effort
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Reduced appetite and weight loss or increased cravings for food and weight gain
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Anxiety, agitation or restlessness
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Slowed thinking, speaking or body movements
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Feelings of worthlessness or guilt, fixating on past failures or self-blame
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Trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions and remembering things
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Frequent or recurrent thoughts of death, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts or suicide
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Unexplained physical problems, such as back pain or headaches
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.
Causes
It's not known exactly what causes depression. As with many mental disorders, a variety of factors may be involved, such as:
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Biological differences. People with depression appear to have physical changes in their brains. The significance of these changes is still uncertain, but may eventually help pinpoint causes.
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Brain chemistry. Neurotransmitters are naturally occurring brain chemicals that likely play a role in depression. Recent research indicates that changes in the function and effect of these neurotransmitters and how they interact with neurocircuits involved in maintaining mood stability may play a significant role in depression and its treatment.
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Hormones. Changes in the body's balance of hormones may be involved in causing or triggering depression. Hormone changes can result with pregnancy and during the weeks or months after delivery (postpartum) and from thyroid problems, menopause or a number of other conditions.
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Inherited traits. Depression is more common in people whose blood relatives also have this condition. Researchers are trying to find genes that may be involved in causing depression.
