Depression commonly manifests physically, through stomach pains, headaches, disrupted or excessive sleep, and motor control difficulty. 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 tend to suffer higher rates of depression after giving birth and in late fall. Depression and anxiety often exacerbate each other and people with depression commonly have difficulty concentrating on tasks and conversations. Some people abuse alcohol and drugs or overeat as a way of coping, causing them to develop other medical problems. Depressed people are also at increased risk for self-harm.
Diagnosing depression involves a psychiatric evaluation and physical tests to determine whether a person’s symptoms are actually being caused by a different disorder. A person must have been experiencing symptoms for at least two weeks to be diagnosed with depression. Every case is unique and requires individual attention, but there are a number of effective complementary ways of treating depression, including:
- EMDR therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral therapy
- talk therapy
- Medication
- Adopting a healthier lifestyle
Depression can interfere with your daily activities when you feel sad, discouraged, unmotivated, hopeless, or have lack an interest in life for more than two weeks.
More detailed information on each of the above difficulties is listed below:
Depression Behaviors:
- Depressed or irritable mood.
- Decrease or loss of appetite.
- Diminished interest in or enjoyment of activities.
- Psychomotor agitation or retardation.
- Sleeplessness or hypersomnia.
- Lack of energy.
- Poor concentration and indecisiveness.
- Social withdrawal.
- Suicidal thoughts and/or gestures.
- Low self-esteem.
- Unresolved grief issues.
- Mood-related hallucinations or delusions.
- Thoughts dominated by loss coupled with poor concentration, tearful spells, and confusion about the future.
- Serial losses in life (i.e., deaths, divorces, jobs) that led to depression and discouragement.
- Strong emotional response of sadness exhibited when losses are discussed.
- Lack of appetite, weight loss, and/or insomnia as well as other depression signs that occurred since the loss.
- Feelings of guilt that not enough was done for the lost significant other, or an unreasonable belief of having contributed to the death of the significant other.
- Avoidance of talking on anything more than a superficial level about the loss.
- Loss of a positive support network due to a geographic move.
- Inability to accept compliments.
- Makes self-disparaging remarks; sees self as unattractive, worthless, a loser, a burden, unimportant; takes blame easily.
- Lack of pride in grooming.
- Difficulty in saying no to others; assumes not being liked by others.
- Fear of rejection by others, especially peer group.
- History of chronic or recurrent depression for which the client has taken antidepressant medication, been hospitalized, had outpatient treatment, or had a course of electroconvulsive therapy.
Low Self-Esteem Behaviors:
- Inability to accept compliments.
- Makes self-disparaging remarks; sees self as unattractive, worthless, a loser, a burden, unimportant; takes blame easily.
- Lack of pride in grooming.
- Difficulty in saying no to others; assumes not being liked by others.
- Fear of rejection by others, especially peer group.
- Lack of any goals for life and setting of inappropriately low goals for self.
- Inability to identify positive characteristics of self.
- Anxious and uncomfortable in social situations.
Grief / Loss Unresolved Behaviors:
- Thoughts dominated by loss coupled with poor concentration, tearful spells, and confusion about the future.
- Serial losses in life (i.e., deaths, divorces, jobs) that led to depression and discouragement.
- Strong emotional response of sadness exhibited when losses are discussed.
- Lack of appetite, weight loss, and/or insomnia as well as other depression signs that occurred since the loss.
- Feelings of guilt that not enough was done for the lost significant other, or an unreasonable belief of having contributed to the death of the significant other.
- Avoidance of talking on anything more than a superficial level about the loss.
- Loss of a positive support network due to a geographic move.
Suicidal Ideation Behaviors:
- Recurrent thoughts of or preoccupation with death.
- Recurrent or ongoing suicidal ideation without any plans.
- Ongoing suicidal ideation with a specific plan.
- Recent suicide attempt.
- History of suicide attempts that required professional or family/friend intervention on some level (e.g., inpatient, safe house, outpatient, supervision).
- Positive family history of depression and/or a preoccupation with suicidal thoughts.
- A bleak, hopeless attitude regarding life coupled with recent life events that support this (e.g., divorce, death of a friend or family member, loss of job).
- Social withdrawal, lethargy, and apathy coupled with expressions of wanting to die.
- Sudden change from being depressed to upbeat and at peace, while actions indicate the client is "putting his/her house in order" and there has been no genuine resolution of conflict issues.
- Engages in self-destructive or dangerous behavior (e.g., chronic drug or alcohol abuse; promiscuity, unprotected sex; reckless driving) that appears to invite death.
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