Depression
What is Depression?
Depression is a mental illness that significantly affects an individual’s mood, outlook on life, sleep, appetite, concentration, interest level and confidence. Depression can be mild, moderate, or severe and can be disabling and life threatening.
What are the signs and symptoms of Depression?
Sleep may be increased (hypersomnia) or decreased (hyposomnia). If sleep is decreased, individuals could have trouble initiating sleep, broken sleep, or early morning waking. Early morning waking is more common in depression than difficulty falling asleep.
Appetite can be markedly increased but is usually reduced
Energy levels are markedly reduced (anergia)
Concentration is typically reduced.
Mood is typically low and sometimes individuals feel easily irritated.
Individuals lose interest in things they used to enjoy (anhedonia).
Loss of interest in sex
Thoughts of worthlessness and self-deprecation
Increased guilt about many actions’ others would not take seriously (pathological guilt)
Thinking an individual is better of dead and in severe forms some individuals may have thoughts of suicide or a plan to die by suicide.
In very severe forms of depression, some individuals may have unusual (psychotic) experiences such as thinking they have committed a serious crime or thinking they are dead.
The symptoms usually impair the personal, occupational, and social functioning of the individual.
The symptoms are not due to use of drugs, alcohol, or a physical illness
What are the types of Depression?
Major Depressive Disorder- A combination of several of the above symptoms is present for at least two weeks and can be mild, moderate, or severe with psychotic (unusual) symptoms
Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia)-
Seasonal Affective Disorder -
How common is Depression?
Over the lifetime, about one in five individuals would suffer from a Depressive Disorder.
Twice as many women as men suffer from depression.
What causes Depression?
Depression is caused by a combination of genetic, psychological, social and environmental factors.
How is Depression treated?
If you feel you are having any of the signs and symptoms of depression listed above, the first thing to do is to consider visiting your Family Doctor or talk to a healthcare professional.
Your doctor will take a history from you, do a mental state examination, perform a physical examination, and may order some blood tests before confirming you have depression.
Some physical health conditions such as underactive thyroid and low iron as well as abuse of some drugs and alcohol can present with some of the symptoms of depression and so it is important that your doctor perform investigations to eliminate these possibilities.
Once it is confirmed you have depression, your doctor may prescribe you some medication called antidepressants, and in some cases, he or she may refer you to see a psychiatrist, who is a doctor who is an expert in treating individuals with mental health difficulties.
Your doctor may also refer you to a clinical psychologist or mental health therapist or counsellor to receive psychological treatment referred to commonly as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).
CBT is a form of counselling in which the therapist helps an individual change the negative patterns of thinking which affects the individual’s behaviour and attitudes that are commonly associated with depression.
Your doctor or mental health therapist may also refer you to a social worker, government agency or other organization to get help with social issues which may be contributing to your Depression.
Other self-help treatments include eating healthy balanced meals and physical exercise
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