Depression is a severe medical condition that is marked by excruciating sadness, usually also accompanied by feelings of uselessness and despair, that can keep you from enjoying or fully participating in your life, and it affects people of all backgrounds, sexes, and ages, including children, teens, college students, adults, and older adults.
Depression differs from ordinary sadness, which is a healthy response to loss or opposition in your life, in that it is more continuous and debilitating. In contrast, normal sadness fades over time, and it doesn't prevent you from living your life.
There are various types of depression, and each type usually evolves from its own circumstances, such as postpartum depression, which many women experience within two weeks after giving birth, seasonal depression, which typically occurs during the winter months when you are shut in for long periods. Then there are depressive disorders, which can last for years.
Quite often, negative thinking or dwelling on negative events from the past can put a damper on your mood, which can lead to depression. Massage Therapy for Depression has been shown to improve both your focus as well as your mood, for a more positive outlook, which helps combat intense feelings of sadness and despair.
Common Symptoms
Not everyone with depression will have the same symptoms or of the same severity, duration, or frequency; however, a person is usually diagnosed with depression
when they have experienced at least five of the following symptoms for a period of 14 days:
- A feeling of guilt or low self-worth
- Low energy or feeling tired for most of the day
- Intense, sad mood, especially upon waking
- Excessive sleeping or problems getting to sleep
- A lack of focus, memory, and decision-making
- Feeling slower than usual
- Recurring thoughts of death or suicide
- A loss of interest or pleasure in life
- Increased weight from overeating or decreased weight from skipping meals
- Irritability and restlessness
- Feeling empty
- Digestive issues or persistent headaches or other pains
Common Causes of Depression
- Like most psychiatric disorders, a family history of depression is believed to contribute to depression in some individuals. This means if someone in your bloodline suffers or suffered from depression, you are at increased risk of developing the condition yourself based on your genetic makeup.
- Various mental disorders, such as bipolar, can also trigger depression due to the chemical imbalances it causes in the brain that causes extreme highs and extreme lows, which can cause intense sadness.
- Sometimes a severe illness can cause depression in some people, as it can cause them to feel unwell, as well as also hinder them from participating in normal activities.
- Certain medications, such as some antiviral medications, have also been linked to depression, especially in those who already suffer from depression. Alcohol can also increase depression in some people.
- Retirement can also cause depression in some individuals because it may cause them to feel they no longer have a purpose. Some people may also find themselves missing the schedule and structure of work, as well as the social and intellectual interaction that kept them stimulated.
- Your personality may also play a role in developing depression, as people who are pessimistic or who have low-self esteem tend to view life and situations more negatively, which can create a gloomy outlook that makes them depressed.
- A cycle of abuse, poverty, and neglect can also cause depression in some people. It is also not uncommon for some past sufferers of abuse to experience depression later in life.