Depression

“Is this life really worth living anymore?”  “Would anyone even notice if I weren’t here tomorrow?”  “I just feel worthless these days and I can’t even get through my daily routine, I’d rather just stay in bed.”  If you find yourself asking these questions or stating these thoughts, you may indeed be stricken with depression. 

Depression is a mood disorder that causes individuals to have persistent feelings of sadness and loss of interest in the things they would otherwise enjoy doing day after day.  Throughout the course of depression it affects how you feel, think, behave, and it can lead to a variety of other emotional and physical conditions.  With depression you will begin to notice difficulty in completing your normal day-to-day activities, and there will also be times when you may feel as if life really isn’t worth living. 

Depression should not be taken lightly…it should not be ignored, and it generally requires long-term medical treatment.  It is not just something you can simply get rid of.  Do not get discouraged though, because most people actually feel a whole lot better and see improvements in their life with medication and counseling for depression.

Individuals may only experience an episode of depression once in their life, which is more than enough…usually though people have multiple bouts of depression.  During depressive episodes, the symptoms will occur most of the day and nearly every day for an extended time period.  Symptoms of depression may include:

•   Feelings of sadness, tearfulness, hopelessness and worthlessness.
•   Increased irritability or frustration with angry outbursts over the smallest of things.
•   Loss of interest or pleasure in most of the activities you normal enjoy.
•   Sleeping too much or not sleeping enough.
•   Decreased energy where even the smallest tasks take extra effort.
•   Reduced appetite and weight loss, or increased cravings and weight gain for some.
•   Overall slower body movements and thinking.
•   Blaming self for things that are out of your control.
•   Difficulty with decision making.
•   Frequent suicidal ideations and/or attempts…some may succeed.
•   Unexplained health problems such as headaches or pain.

The symptoms of depression will vary from person to person.  However, if depression is bad enough others will notice changes in the way you function on a daily basis in places such as work, school or within personal relationships.  Other individuals with depression may feel miserable or unhappy with really knowing the reason behind it. 

If you begin with feelings of depression or notice that your daily routine is becoming interrupted you should definitely consult with your provider.  However, approaching someone to express your feelings may be easier said than done, but you should not keep your feelings inside and let them build up.  Talking to a loved one, friend, or someone else you trust may be an option if you are reluctant to seek the opinion of a health professional at first.  Depression is a serious disorder that can take a horrible toll on the individuals involved and their families.  If left untreated your depression most likely will get worse and can result in a variety of emotional, behavioral, and health problems that can virtually affect every aspect of your life.

Depression does not have an exact identifiable cause.  A variety of factors may be involved, including:

-Biology.

·      Those who experience depression appear to have physical changes present in their brains as compared to those who do not. 

-Hormones.

·      Changes in the body’s balance of hormones may be involved in causing or triggering depression.  Several conditions may result in changes in the way hormones are balanced.

-Inherited traits.

·      Depression is more common in those who have relatives that also suffer from the condition.

Depression can happen to anyone, and at any age.  As with any other medical condition there are factors that prove to increase the risk for some individuals, including:

-Having low self-esteem, depending excessively on others, being too self-critical or having a persistent negative outlook on life.

-Traumatic or stressful events such as physical/sexual abuse, loss of a loved one, financial troubles, or being in a difficult relationship.

-Childhood trauma.

-Having relatives with a history of depression, bipolar disorder, alcoholism or who are suicidal.

-Alcohol and/or drug abuse.

-Having serious or chronic illnesses such as cancer or chronic pain.

-Certain medications may also trigger depression to occur.

Diagnosis of depression can prove to be tricky.  Upon your visit to your provider, there may be various tests and exams that are recommended for you.  A physical and mental examination will be completed in order to ask you questions related to your symptoms, as depression may be linked to an underlying physical health condition.  Also, laboratory tests may be completed to ensure that your thyroid is functioning properly. 

There are different types of depression, which will be explained to you in further detail by your provider.  However, based upon your examination results, your provider should be able to diagnose your type of depression and develop a treatment plan for you.  Treatments could range from talking with a mental health professional regularly, to medications, to more invasive therapies depending upon the extent to which you are affected.  You’ll be happy to know that medications and psychological counseling are generally very effective as treatment measures. 

Ultimately, do not wait to have any symptoms of depression checked out, because if you wait…they will worsen and the treatment you receive may not be as effective or work as quickly as it could have.  Total Home Health has a program that is right for you!  We will assign your care to professionals on our team that will treat you like family and go above and beyond to meet all your needs.  Our advice to you at this point is to be proactive for your own good and get back to enjoying all the things you used to do because life is too short to miss out.  Enroll with us today, we’ll show you how!