Depression

Something more than sadness

Many events, such as loss of a loved one, divorce, money problems, moving to a new place, loss of a job, can cause someone to be sad. At some point in everyone’s life, sadness can occur.

But when you feel persistent sadness combined with a feeling of lost hope, lack of interest in things that you once enjoyed, or a contemplation of suicide, these are signs of depression.

The many faces of depression

Depression may affect you physically through stomach pain, headaches, disrupted or excessive sleep, and motor control difficulty. Moreover, depression is a mental illness characterized by prolonged emotional symptoms such as apathy, sadness, guilt, exhaustion, and irritability.

Depression and anxiety often exacerbate each other, and people with depression commonly have a hard time concentrating on conversations and tasks.

Some depressed people may abuse alcohol and drugs or overeat as a way of coping, causing them to develop other medical problems.

Depressed people also have an increased rate for self-harm.

Triggers of depression

While the causes of depression are unknown, a predisposition for it runs in families; and it can be triggered by trauma and adverse life circumstances.

Depression is diagnosed more frequently in women and tends to display differently in women than in men. People often suffer higher rates of depression after giving birth (post-partum depression) and in late fall.

Identifying and treating depression

Diagnosing depression involves a psychiatric evaluation and physical tests to determine whether a person’s symptoms are caused by a different disorder.

A person must have been experiencing symptoms for at least two weeks to be diagnosed with depression.

Each case is unique and requires individual attention; but there are several effective complementary methods for treating depression, including talk therapy, medication, and adopting a healthier lifestyle.

I can help!

If you are showing signs of depression, call me today at (616) 236-3281, so we can set up a consultation and begin addressing this issue.