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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nWhile everyone experiences feelings of\nsadness at some point in their life, those with clinical depression have\nprolonged periods of feeling helpless, hopeless, and worthless. These feelings\nare not always tied to a specific incident and can last for many days to weeks.\nDepression can occur in children, adolescents and adults. Although someone can\nexperience depression only once in their life, most who suffer with depression\nexperience recurring episodes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some\nof the symptoms of depression include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Feelings of sadness, tearfulness, emptiness or hopelessness<\/li>
- Angry outbursts, irritability or frustration, even over small\nmatters<\/li>
- Loss of interest or pleasure in most or all normal activities,\nsuch as sex, hobbies or sports<\/li>
- Sleep disturbances, including insomnia or sleeping too much<\/li>
- Tiredness and lack of energy, so even small tasks take extra\neffort<\/li>
- Reduced appetite and weight loss or increased cravings for food\nand weight gain<\/li>
- Anxiety, agitation or restlessness<\/li>
- Slowed thinking, speaking or body movements<\/li>
- Feelings of worthlessness or guilt, fixating on past failures or\nself-blame<\/li>
- Trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions and\nremembering things<\/li>
- Frequent or recurrent thoughts of death, suicidal thoughts,\nsuicide attempts or suicide<\/li>
- Unexplained physical problems, such as back pain or headaches<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
For\nmany people with depression, symptoms usually are severe enough to cause\nnoticeable problems in day-to-day activities, such as work, school, social\nactivities or relationships with others. Some people may feel generally\nmiserable or unhappy without really knowing why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There\nis no known singular cause for depression. Instead, health professionals point\nto a combination of contributing factors including a person\u2019s brain structure\nand chemistry. Hormone and genetics are also believed to play a role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Help\nis available for those with depression. A mental health professional can\nconduct an evaluation and outline a course of treatment based on the patient\u2019s\nindividual needs. Treatment may include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Medications \u2013 These can include a combination of antidepressants,\nmood stabilizers, antipsychotic, anti-anxiety or stimulant medications<\/li>
- Psychotherapy – Talking to a mental health professional on\na regular basis about your depression and other issues can help treat the\nsymptoms.<\/li>
- Electroconvulsive therapy – This brain\nstimulation therapy passes electric currents through your brain to help your\nneurotransmitters work better.<\/li>
- Transcranial magnetic stimulation – This\ntreatment uses a coil to send magnetic pulses through your brain to help\nstimulate nerve cells that regulate mood.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Some with depression may experience thoughts of\nhurting themselves or others. If someone you know is depressed and you think\nthey may\nhurt themselves or attempt suicide, call 911immediately. <\/p>\n
All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page. You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter. PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.<\/strong> <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Depression is a mood disorder that makes you feel constant sadness or lack of interest in life. It can affect how a person feels, thinks and behaves. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems. Those living … Continue reading