Depression is very common these days. Everyone is suffering from this in different ways. It is the need of time to know about what is depression. Here we are going to discuss symptoms of depression.
What is depression?
Depression defines as a psychological disorder, in which the patient feels very sad for a long time, and completely disengage from joyful things or even traditional things, so he does not want to go to work, read newspapers, meet friends, or adapt to life.
Depression, in other definitions, is a mood disorder that involves a constant feeling of sadness and loss of interest.
It differs from the mood swings that people experience regularly as part of life.
The American National Library of Medicine (NHL) (National Institutes of Health) defined depression as a treatable psychiatric illness, and they interpreted this phrase:
Disease: has symptoms that may last for at least two weeks.
Medi: It means that it is a disease recognized by medicine, not fiction, as it affects your life, your mind, and your body.
- Treatable: with some antidepressants, besides psychological therapy and behavior change sessions.
Depressive symptoms: Symptoms that may judge a person as having depression
Depression symptoms are among the topics that have occupied the field of psychiatry in recent times.
Mental illnesses are more harmful than organic diseases because the organic disease can locate pain and the major cause of the pain centre, but such matters do not occur with mental illnesses.
Depression is difficult to notice, especially in the early stages of the onset of depression, but there are a group of factors or symptoms that appear in the patient, but the cases differ from one patient to another.
But let’s first try to understand what depression is scientifical.
Depression is not a weakness, and you simply cannot “kick it” out. Depression may require long-term treatment, but don’t get discouraged.
Most people with depression feel better with medication, psychotherapy, or both.
Causes of Depression
Major life events, such as
severe accidents, misfortunes, losing someone dear to you, life shocks, loss of work or money, failure in a project, and other causes that lead to depression.
Doctors also consider that feelings of sadness are part of depression if it lasts for a while, Long.
Depression is a continuous and not a fleeting problem that occurs from episodes during which symptoms last for at least two weeks, and depression can last for several weeks, months, or years, but here we must ask ourselves an important question, which is:
What is the difference between Sadness, Anxiety, and Depression?
Some people cannot differentiate between sadness, anxiety, and depression, but some describe the sadness that they experience like depression, so what is the difference?
Sadness:
The feeling that a person experiences when exposed to certain situations such as the death of a person close to you, losing a job, or the end of an emotional relationship, and it is a temporary feeling that disappears with passaging time, but the individual remains able to feel happy and laugh and sadness does not persist More than two weeks, against depression.
Anxiety:
A feeling of stress and constant fear of the possibility that something will happen.
Anxiety and depression are two sides of the same coin, they are similar because it links them to a decrease in the level of serotonin in the brain; we believe it that depression and anxiety stem from the same biological weakness, which may explain why they persist side by side.
Since anxiety makes depression worse (and vice versa), it is important to seek treatment for both conditions.
The Thing to Know is that
From this conversation, we deduce that there is a direct relationship to psychological causes and their effect on the person’s physical factors. Depression or anxiety increases the rate of serotonin, but what is serotonin?
What is Serotonin? And its Relationship to Depression?
Serotonin is a chemical that helps transmit signals to the brain region and is one neurotransmitter in the brain that send signals between brain cells, and it is believed that a variety of brain cells up to 40 million cells in the brain affected by most or some of them by serotonin and therefore This substance has a direct effect on human health, such as
Mood.
Behaviour.
Body temperature.
Memory and learning.
Sleep.
concupiscence.
Appetite, digestion, and bowel movement.
Coagulation.
Bone health.
It Details Depression Symptoms in 15 Signs of Depression.
Depression, like any other disease, has a set of symptoms that distinguish it. Here are the most important 15 symptoms of depression.
Symptoms of Depression, Physical, and Psychological
A Sense of Worthlessness
The patient feels a set of negative emotions, such as self-hate or a constant feeling of guilt, and there are many situations in which he does not feel himself or have a separate entity and a strong personality.
Sleeping for long periods of time
One of the important sign of depression is sleeping for long periods, to evade the state of sadness and distress that the patient feels, as the duration of sleep is longer than the known normal range (6-8 hours), and this symptom extends for a period of up to over two weeks.
Severe Difficulty Concentrating
Forgetfulness and loss of focus are one thing that many people suffer from, but it develops in cases of depression, as the patient forgets the simple details related to his life or work.
Noticeable Changes in Appetite
The weight of a depressed patient changes by increase or decrease, as some are eat-in cases of severe sadness, while others refuse to eat.
Fatigue and Lack of Energy
The patient suffers from a lack of energy and a constant feeling of fatigue and exhaustion, so he cannot do traditional tasks or exercise.
Agitation, Restlessness, and Irritability
The mood of a depressed patient changes rapidly with no convincing reasons, and turns without introductions from a calm person to a violent person, because of his constant feeling of anxiety.
Not Feeling any Pleasure and Happiness
The patient loses his ability to enjoy life’s challenges, even those things that used to make him/her feel happy to become worthless, and it comes to losing his desire to have sexual relations, and the matter gets worse with the persistence of depression for long periods.
Feeling Hopeless and Helpless
The patient loses his ability to make the right decisions, besides his constant feeling of helplessness and helplessness, and begins to enter into bouts of constant crying without clear reasons, and this crying is a strong sign of depression.
Feeling Some Pain Without an Explanation
The patient feels many acute pains without any organic cause, such as pain in the neck, back, and others.
Thinking of Thoughts about Death and Suicide
Life closes its doors to a depressed patient, and he feels that there is no refuge for him except death, and suicidal thoughts crowd over him, not only that, but sometimes he harms himself, and a psychiatrist must be sought to overcome this symptom, as it is one of the most dangerous symptoms of depression.
Aggressiveness
Depressed patients are aggressive, violent, and wanting to harm others.
Extreme Self-Criticism or Blame
Depressed patients always criticize and blame themselves, even in the simplest life situations, in addition to the constant feeling of shortness of breath after each situation.
General Isolation
Depressed patients feel their strong desire to isolate themselves from others, even those closest to them, and they completely refrain from attending all social events.
Take a Lot of Medication
This symptom is one of the less common symptoms of depression, as the patient takes a lot of medications without consulting a doctor or taking them frequently despite consulting a doctor.
Constant Waking at Night
Many suffer from the problem of constantly waking up at night. This problem is not only a symptom of depression, but it is a symptom of many other mental illnesses. It has many reasons, so consult your doctor if this matter lasts to assess your condition whether it depresses you.
Women suffer from depression two or three times as much as men. They are more likely to experience symptoms such as.
Anxiety
Feelings of guilt
Avoiding conflict
Low self-esteem
weakness and there are also forms of depression that only occur in women.
such as postpartum depression and premenopausal depression.
And premenstrual dysphoric disorder, so why is depression more common among women?
After all, the diagnostic criteria remain the same for women and men, and there are actually many unique causes of depression in women that explain many of these differences.
A mood fluctuating from happiness to sadness or vice versa, for no apparent reason
Loss of interest or pleasure in activities, including sex
Restlessness, irritability, or excessive crying
Feelings of guilt, helplessness, helplessness, hopelessness, and pessimism
Constant waking at night, long periods of sleep, and difficulty waking up
Loss of appetite and weight or overeating and weight gain
Decreased energy, fatigue, and a feeling of “slowing down”
Thoughts of death, suicide, or suicide attempts
Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or decide
Persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment, such as headache, gastrointestinal disturbances, and chronic pain
Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety in Adolescents
Physical changes, peer pressure, and other factors contribute to the incidence of depression in adolescents, including:
Withdrawing from friends and family
Difficulty concentrating on school work
Feelings of guilt, helplessness, or worthlessness
Insomnia, such as being unable to sit for periods and wake up several times.
Early Symptoms of Depression in Children
In a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for Children in America, it revealed that 2 to 3% of children and adolescents in the United States between the ages of 3 to 17 years suffer from problems related to depression and anxiety.
This affects their ability to perform schoolwork and social activities and make them difficult, and among the most prominent signs shown in this study that show symptoms of anxiety or depression in children are:
Crying in a continuous frequency.
Low energy and a feeling of inactivity.
The tendency to play alone and mostly in his room or play video games for hours.
A behavior that expresses challenge and rivalry.
Loud sonic explosions in many reactions.
Young children may have difficulty expressing what they feel in words, and this may make it difficult for them to clearly explain their feelings of sadness, and therefore when we find these signs in our children, we must quickly go to a specialist in dealing with children because neglecting this may lead to results Disastrous future.
Symptoms of Mild Depression.
You may feel you suffer from depression, especially after reading these symptoms, but here we note that you need to consult a specialist to properly diagnose the condition and to know if you have depression and diagnose the condition correctly.
Many people have symptoms of depression in different ages, but people become more susceptible to the disease in the age group between 24 and 44 years old.
Very well written
Keep it up