Depression is a mood disorder that causes a
persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. Also called major
depression, major depressive disorder or clinical depression, it affects how
you feel, think and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical
problems. You may have trouble doing normal day-to-day activities, and
depression may make you feel as if life isn't worth living.
More than just a bout of the blues,
depression isn't a weakness, nor is it something that you can simply "snap
out" of. Depression may require long-term treatment. But don't get
discouraged. Most people with depression feel better with medication,
psychological counseling or both. Other treatments also may help
Symptoms
Although depression may occur only one time
during your life, usually people have multiple episodes of depression. During
these episodes, symptoms occur most of the day, nearly every day and may
include:
- Feelings of sadness, emptiness or unhappiness
- Angry outbursts, irritability or frustration, even over small
matters
- Loss of interest or pleasure in normal activities, such as sex
- Sleep disturbances, including insomnia or sleeping too much
- Tiredness and lack of energy, so that even small tasks take extra
effort
- Changes in appetite — often reduced appetite and weight loss, but
increased cravings for food and weight gain in some people
- Anxiety, agitation or restlessness — for example, excessive
worrying, pacing, hand-wringing or an inability to sit still
- Slowed thinking, speaking or body movements
- Feelings of worthlessness or guilt, fixating on past failures or
blaming yourself for things that are not your responsibility
- Trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions and remembering
things
- Frequent thoughts of death, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts or
suicide
- Unexplained physical problems, such as back pain or headaches
For some people, depression symptoms are so
severe that it's obvious something isn't right. Other people feel generally
miserable or unhappy without really knowing why.
Types of
depression
Depression affects each person in different
ways, so symptoms caused by depression vary from person to person. To clarify
the type of depression you have, your doctor may add information to your
depression diagnosis called a specifier. Specifiers include having depression
with specific features, such as:
- Anxious distress — unusual restlessness or worry
about possible events or loss of control
- Mixed features — simultaneous depression and mania,
which includes elevated self-esteem, talking too much, and racing thoughts
and ideas
- Melancholic features — severe depression with a
profound lack of response to something that used to bring pleasure,
associated with early morning awakening, worsened mood in the morning,
significant changes in appetite, and feelings of guilt, agitation or
sluggishness
- Atypical features — ability to be cheered by happy
events, increased appetite, little need for sleep, sensitivity to
rejection, and a heavy feeling in arms or legs
- Psychotic features — depression accompanied by
delusions or hallucinations, which may involve themes of personal
inadequacy or negative themes
- Catatonia — includes motor activity that
involves either uncontrollable and purposeless movement or fixed and
inflexible posture
- Peripartum onset — occurs during pregnancy or in
the weeks or months after delivery (postpartum)
- Seasonal pattern — related to changes in seasons
and diminished exposure to sunlight
Depression
symptoms in children and teens
Common symptoms of depression in children and
teens are similar to those of adults, but there can be some differences.
- In younger children, symptoms of depression may include sadness,
irritability, clinginess, worry, aches and pains, refusing to go to
school, or being underweight.
- In teens, symptoms may include sadness, irritability, feeling
negative and worthless, anger, poor performance or poor attendance at
school, feeling misunderstood and extremely sensitive, using drugs or
alcohol, eating or sleeping too much, self-harm, loss of interest in
normal activities, and avoidance of social interaction.
- Depression may occur with other mental health conditions, such as
anxiety, eating disorders, substance abuse or
attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Depression
symptoms in older adults
Depression is not a normal part of growing
older and it should never be taken lightly. Unfortunately, depression often
goes undiagnosed and untreated in older adults, and they may feel reluctant to
seek help. Symptoms of depression may be different or less obvious in older
adults, including:
- Memory difficulties or personality changes
- Fatigue, loss of appetite, sleep problems, aches or loss of interest
in sex, which are not caused by a medical condition or medication
- Often wanting to stay at home, rather than going out to socialize or
doing new things
- Suicidal thinking or feelings, especially in older men
Causes
It's not known exactly what causes
depression. As with many mental disorders, a variety of factors may be
involved, such as:
- Biological differences.People with depression appear to have
physical changes in their brains. The significance of these changes is
still uncertain, but may eventually help pinpoint causes.
- Brain chemistry. Neurotransmitters are naturally occurring
brain chemicals that likely play a role in depression. When these
chemicals are out of balance, it may be associated with depressive symptoms.
- Hormones. Changes in the body's balance of hormones may be
involved in causing or triggering depression. Hormone changes can result
from thyroid problems, menopause or a number of other conditions.
- Inherited traits. Depression is more common in people whose
biological (blood) relatives also have this condition. Researchers are
trying to find genes that may be involved in causing depression.
- Life events. Traumatic events such as the death or loss of a
loved one, financial problems, high stress, or childhood trauma can
trigger depression in some people.
Remedies
for Depression
1. Apple
“An apple a
day keeps depression away.” Apple is considered to be the best fruit which
prevents all sorts of ailments, for eons. It is equally effective for
depression. Add finely chopped pieces of half an apple and 1-2 teaspoons of
honey in a glass of milk. Consume it on a daily basis. If you don’t like milk,
you can drink apple juice.
2.
Saffron
Saffron boosts
up the levels of serotonin in the brain, thereby cures mild depression. It’s a
delicious seasoning for food. You can have a pinch of it regularly or add it to
your food.
3. Rose
Petals
Put 25-30
fresh rose petals in water. Boil it for 12-15 minutes. Let it cool and add
sugar. Drink this mixture twice or thrice a day. This home remedy effectively
relieves you from the bouts of depression.
4.
Cardamom
The pleasing
odor of cardamom soothes the nerves of our brain. Prepare tea by adding a few
tea leaves. Add finely powdered cardamom seeds to it. Sip it slowly.
- Or else, add sugar and powder of 2
cardamoms to a cup of hot water. Boil it. Sip it warm.
5. Coffee
Give a
refreshing start to your day with a cup of coffee. Caffeine present in the
coffee is a good mood booster and makes you feel better. 1-2 cups of coffee per
day relieve mild depression. But don’t consume more than 2 cups; otherwise, it
may enhance depression.
Note –
It is suggested only for coffee-lovers, others may choose to avoid it.
6.
Turmeric
If you are
suffering from depression caused due to seasonal changes, turmeric could
be of great help. The curcumin present in the turmeric positively affects the
pathways of serotonin in the brain, thus, mitigates the depression.
7. Green
Tea
Sip 2-3 cups
of green tea a day to reduce the symptoms of depression. Green tea has a soothing
effect on the brain due to the presence of amino acids in it.
8. Ginger
Tea
Boil 1
teaspoon of ginger powder in hot water for a few minutes. Allow the liquid to
cool. Sip it two times a day. It’s an excellent cure for depression.
9. Garlic
Add garlic to
your food as it wards off the symptoms related to depression, fatigue and
insomnia.
10.
Balanced Diet
A balanced
diet prevents you from catching any/every disease. Have a diet rich in folate,
Vitamin B (especially B6) and C.
- All dark leafy vegetables are rich in
folate.
- B6 rich foods are spinach, asparagus,
sunflower seeds, parsnips, citrus fruits and beets. Non vegetarian sources
are lean pork, poultry, fish, chicken, lean beef, spinach, avocados and
bananas.
- For Vitamin C consume tomatoes,
oranges, fresh juice, brown rice, grams, green vegetables, Indian
gooseberries etc.
- Magnesium containing foods are
required to cope with suicidal tendencies. Ingest pumpkin, sunflower and
sesame seeds. Nuts like almonds and cashews are also beneficial for the
same. In addition, black beans, navy beans, soybeans, spinach, kale, Swiss
chard, collard greens and whole grains.
- Eat selenium containing food such as
tuna, swordfish, oysters, and sunflower seeds.
11.
Oatmeal
Cook 4-5
tablespoons of oatmeal in 1 cup of soy milk or rice milk. Add dried
fruits, almonds, nuts, honey or maple syrup in it. It relaxes and keeps
depression at bay, so, consume it on a regular basis
12.
Cashew nuts
Cashew nuts
keep your heart in the pink as it’s affluent in Vitamin B and B2. It also keeps
your mind hale and hearty. You can also grind 5-8 cashew nuts into powder and
have it with a glass of milk every day.
13.
Pumpkin Seeds
Roasted
pumpkin seeds are not only yummy, but are also loaded with a number of
nutritious elements, like glutamic acid, arginine, phosphorous, magnesium,
copper, iron, fiber, protein, etc. The seeds has peanut-like flavor, and can be
added to soups, salads, or can be consumed as a snack. Other magnesium rich
foods are sesame and sunflower seeds.
14. Folic
Acid
Cabbage is a
great stress-buster as it’s an affluent source of Vitamin C and folic acid. You
can prepare steamed cabbage curry, cabbage soup or can consume it in the form
of salad.
- Spinach is another well-off source of
folic acid, which works well against depression. One must intake ¾ cup of
spinach per day in order to fulfill the daily requirement of folic acid.
Note –
Folic acid may lead to cancer, as per a few researches. So, we recommend you to
discuss with your doctor about this. It also damages central nervous system.
15.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3
fatty acids such as Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)
are essential for the optimal functioning of the brain and reducing the risk of
depression. Fish like salmon or tuna, flaxseeds, cod, soy, pollock, flounder
and walnuts are well-off in omega-3 fatty acids. Fish oil also resists
depression. So, you should include fish and fish oil in your diet.
REMEMBER
Depression
often begins in the teens, 20s or 30s, but it can happen at any age. More women
are diagnosed with depression than men, but this may be due in part because
women are more likely to seek treatment.
Researchers
have identified certain factors that seem to increase the risk of developing or
triggering depression, including:
- Depression that started when you were
a teen or child
- History of anxiety disorder,
borderline personality disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder
- Abuse of alcohol or illegal drugs
- Certain personality traits, such as
having low self-esteem and being overly dependent, self-critical or
pessimistic
- Serious or chronic illness, such as
cancer, diabetes or heart disease
- Certain medications, such as some high
blood pressure medications or sleeping pills (talk to your doctor before
stopping any medication)
- Traumatic or stressful events, such as
physical or sexual abuse, the loss of a loved one, a difficult
relationship or financial problems
- Blood relatives with a history of depression, bipolar disorder, alcoholism or suicide