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You might be forgiven for thinking that depression is a modern construct – a symptom of a society that no longer struggles for food and shelter as it did some 100 years ago. However, it is widely considered to be a very real illness with known causes, symptoms and treatments. The characteristics of depression are relatively well known. Symptoms are quite familiar. Low mood, lack of energy, general apathy, excessive sleeping, excessive eating and in more extreme cases thoughts of suicide. It’s a very serious condition, so it’s important that we recognise the symptoms and the causes in order to help ourselves and others seek treatment. The most common cause of depression is life events. These can be very distressing when it comes to things like grief or relationship troubles, and indeed may become very isolating too. There are a lot of other causes of depression that come from life events, some of which you might not necessarily associate with depression. Childbirth is sometimes a cause of a special kind of depression called postnatal depression. It is thought that this is due to hormonal changes within the body during childbirth. It is also possible that medication may cause depression. Some medications such as beta-blockers may interfere with natural happiness chemicals like serotonin that is produced in the body. This interference may then lead to an imbalance which can lead to depression. Certain illnesses are also thought to cause depression. Serious illnesses such as cancer, Lyme disease, stroke, diabetes, sleep apnea and hypothyroidism have symptoms that include depression. Psychiatric illnesses also cause depression. Mood disorders including major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder are leading psychiatric causes of depression. There is some evidence that depression is seasonal, with seasonal affective disorder a common problem in places where there is little sunshine in the winter. This means that people may have problems with depression at certain times of the year, and not others. Treatment options vary. There are various medications for treatment of more serious depression such as anti-depressants. Seasonal affective disorder can be treated by light therapy, in which artificial light mimics the light of the sun. Many forms of depression can be treated with counselling and psychotherapy. Therapy may be used in conjunction with medication, which allows people to both treat symptoms and also get to the root cause of the problem for a more permanent solution. Everybody can be affected by depression, although women are more likely to be affected than men. A recent article in The Guardian cited an Office for National Statistics study that showed 1 in 5 UK adults will be affected by depression at some point in their lives. It’s clear to see that depression is not simply a modern construct of a society that needs to get a grip and stop whining; such thinking is clearly simplified and negates the psychological factors that are a part of the human condition. Life’s uncertainties and difficulties manifest themselves in different ways – and depression is a legitimate illness that needs to be better understood in order to promote mental health.
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depression, treatments for depression, symptoms of depression, mental health, mental illness,
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