Depression
What is Depression?
Depression is when you are feeling extremely sad or miserable a long amount of time, but it isn’t just feeling sad but it is a serious illness that can leave you feeling down all the time and makes life really hard to live. This can cause you not wanted to do things that you used to like doing like playing sport, hanging out with friends or family.
The best thing you could do if you feel these symptoms is to get help straight away from a doctor, councilor or an adult that can refer you to a professional. If depression isn’t treated it can lead to underachieving at work or study, they can lose contact with friends and family. Depression also increases the risk of suicide and suicidal thoughts.
The best thing you could do if you feel these symptoms is to get help straight away from a doctor, councilor or an adult that can refer you to a professional. If depression isn’t treated it can lead to underachieving at work or study, they can lose contact with friends and family. Depression also increases the risk of suicide and suicidal thoughts.
Who Can Get Depression?
Around 160,000 young people aged 16-24 years live with depression, so it’s a common illness. Research says that girls are more likely than boys to get depression, but boys often find it harder to talk about their feelings and get help.
1 in 5 teenagers live with depression or will get depression before they hit adulthood. Depression is an illness which can lead to problems with alcohol (including binge drinking), cigarettes and other drugs, low self-esteem and taking risks with your health and that of others.
Depression can also have long-term effects. It can lead to young people dropping out of school or quitting their jobs, this could further affect their social lives and career options. People who are depressed as young people are often at risk of depression in adulthood as well and untreated depression is a risk factor for suicidal behaviour.
1 in 5 teenagers live with depression or will get depression before they hit adulthood. Depression is an illness which can lead to problems with alcohol (including binge drinking), cigarettes and other drugs, low self-esteem and taking risks with your health and that of others.
Depression can also have long-term effects. It can lead to young people dropping out of school or quitting their jobs, this could further affect their social lives and career options. People who are depressed as young people are often at risk of depression in adulthood as well and untreated depression is a risk factor for suicidal behaviour.
What Causes Depression?
Many people thing that depression is caused because of one event gone wrong but often it is a combination of events like a break up or death of a family member, but most people that get depression has had some type of bullying occur in their lives.
Signs and Symptoms
Feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. A bleak outlook—nothing will ever get better and there’s nothing you can do to improve your situation.
Loss of interest in daily activities. No interest in former hobbies, pastimes, social activities, or sex. You’ve lost your ability to feel joy and pleasure.
Appetite or weight changes. Significant weight loss or weight gain—a change of more than 5% of body weight in a month.
Sleep changes. Either insomnia, especially waking in the early hours of the morning, or oversleeping (also known as hypersomnia).
Anger or irritability. Feeling agitated, restless, or even violent. Your tolerance level is low, your temper short, and everything and everyone gets on your nerves.
Loss of energy. Feeling fatigued, sluggish, and physically drained. Your whole body may feel heavy, and even small tasks are exhausting or take longer to complete.
Self-loathing. Strong feelings of worthlessness or guilt. You harshly criticise yourself for perceived faults and mistakes.
Reckless behaviour. You engage in escapist behaviour such as substance abuse, compulsive gambling, reckless driving, or dangerous sports.
Concentration problems. Trouble focusing, making decisions, or remembering things.
Unexplained aches and pains. An increase in physical complaints such as headaches, back pain, aching muscles, and stomach pain.
Loss of interest in daily activities. No interest in former hobbies, pastimes, social activities, or sex. You’ve lost your ability to feel joy and pleasure.
Appetite or weight changes. Significant weight loss or weight gain—a change of more than 5% of body weight in a month.
Sleep changes. Either insomnia, especially waking in the early hours of the morning, or oversleeping (also known as hypersomnia).
Anger or irritability. Feeling agitated, restless, or even violent. Your tolerance level is low, your temper short, and everything and everyone gets on your nerves.
Loss of energy. Feeling fatigued, sluggish, and physically drained. Your whole body may feel heavy, and even small tasks are exhausting or take longer to complete.
Self-loathing. Strong feelings of worthlessness or guilt. You harshly criticise yourself for perceived faults and mistakes.
Reckless behaviour. You engage in escapist behaviour such as substance abuse, compulsive gambling, reckless driving, or dangerous sports.
Concentration problems. Trouble focusing, making decisions, or remembering things.
Unexplained aches and pains. An increase in physical complaints such as headaches, back pain, aching muscles, and stomach pain.
Types of Depression
Major Depressive Disorder
Major depression disorder is sad to be a combination of symptoms that can interfere with a person’s wellbeing and ability to work, sleep, study, eat and enjoy activity they once enjoyed.
Major depression is not when you feel sad, lonely or hopeless for a few days, but last longer and is immobilizing or disables the person, and prevents you to function normally. It can be said that it occurs a maximum of once in a person’s lifetime, but in reality major depression can occur multiple times in a person’s life.
Chronic Depression or Dysthymia
Chronic depression or dysthymia is constant for a long-term, from 2 years or more and during this time you are feeling the side effects of depression. Some symptoms of chronic depression have an association with major depression but chronic depression isn’t as bad, it’s less severe than major depression because it normally doesn’t disable or mobilizes the person. If you have chronic depression you may also experience major depression during your life time.
Atypical Depression
This is an irregular depression normally depression is where you feel some kind of sadness, loneliness or resentment but this depression is a different kind of depression, it shows that a person may be overeating, oversleeping, fatigue, extreme sensitivity to rejection and have moods that worsen or improve in direct response to events.
Bipolar Depression or Manic Depression
Bipolar depression also referred to as manic depression, is a very complex mood disorder that consists of periods of clinical depression and times of extreme excitement or obsession. Bipolar depression comes under two types: bipolar l and bipolar ll.
- Bipolar depression 1, patients have at least on manic episode that can be with or without major depressive episodes.
- With bipolar II disorder, patients have a history of at least one episode of major depression and at least one hypomanic (mildly elated) episode.
Seasonal Depression (SAD)
Seasonal depression, often called seasonal affective disorder or SAD, is a depression that occurs each year at the same time. It usually starts in the fall or winter and ends in spring or early summer. A rare form of SAD, known as "summer depression," begins in late spring or early summer. This depression is when you are overly sad in one part of the year.
Psychotic Depression
Patients that have psychotic depression, is when you can have hallucinations and delusional experiences as well as other normal depression symptoms. Psychotic depression is a break from their lives and reality.
Postpartum Depression
Postpartum depression happens to one in ten moms that give birth, 75% of new moms get the baby blues. But the one in ten can develop this serious condition within one month after giving birth.
Major depression disorder is sad to be a combination of symptoms that can interfere with a person’s wellbeing and ability to work, sleep, study, eat and enjoy activity they once enjoyed.
Major depression is not when you feel sad, lonely or hopeless for a few days, but last longer and is immobilizing or disables the person, and prevents you to function normally. It can be said that it occurs a maximum of once in a person’s lifetime, but in reality major depression can occur multiple times in a person’s life.
Chronic Depression or Dysthymia
Chronic depression or dysthymia is constant for a long-term, from 2 years or more and during this time you are feeling the side effects of depression. Some symptoms of chronic depression have an association with major depression but chronic depression isn’t as bad, it’s less severe than major depression because it normally doesn’t disable or mobilizes the person. If you have chronic depression you may also experience major depression during your life time.
Atypical Depression
This is an irregular depression normally depression is where you feel some kind of sadness, loneliness or resentment but this depression is a different kind of depression, it shows that a person may be overeating, oversleeping, fatigue, extreme sensitivity to rejection and have moods that worsen or improve in direct response to events.
Bipolar Depression or Manic Depression
Bipolar depression also referred to as manic depression, is a very complex mood disorder that consists of periods of clinical depression and times of extreme excitement or obsession. Bipolar depression comes under two types: bipolar l and bipolar ll.
- Bipolar depression 1, patients have at least on manic episode that can be with or without major depressive episodes.
- With bipolar II disorder, patients have a history of at least one episode of major depression and at least one hypomanic (mildly elated) episode.
Seasonal Depression (SAD)
Seasonal depression, often called seasonal affective disorder or SAD, is a depression that occurs each year at the same time. It usually starts in the fall or winter and ends in spring or early summer. A rare form of SAD, known as "summer depression," begins in late spring or early summer. This depression is when you are overly sad in one part of the year.
Psychotic Depression
Patients that have psychotic depression, is when you can have hallucinations and delusional experiences as well as other normal depression symptoms. Psychotic depression is a break from their lives and reality.
Postpartum Depression
Postpartum depression happens to one in ten moms that give birth, 75% of new moms get the baby blues. But the one in ten can develop this serious condition within one month after giving birth.