Depression, as an illness, comes in several different types, ranging from mild to chronic to severe to major depressive disorder. You will need to consult with your doctor to determine which grade of depression, if any, best suits you. Perhaps the best clue to determining whether you really are suffering from some sort of depression is to ask yourself, “Am I really feeling more down than normal (or whatever is normal for me)? Have I felt this way for quite some number of days now? Do I feel like this bad stretch of the blues is going to go away soon?” If the answer is “no”, or even “maybe not”, then it may be time to consult a doctor and ask him if you might need to be diagnosed with some form of depression.

 What Does Chronic Depression Feel Like?

One of the most common varieties of depressive illness is chronic depression. While not the most severe of known depressive illnesses, it can certainly feel like a lead weight attached to the soul of someone who suffers with it. Feelings of loss and longing, which you may not even able to

What Does Depression Feel Like?

account for the source of, may weigh heavily on your heart. You may feel completely unmotivated, even unable to get out of bed. You may simply feel as if nothing is worth the doing, or ever was. These are all symptoms associated with chronic depression, which is called “chronic” because these feelings recur over a period of several, or many days. These feelings may even begin to occur all throughout your life, with no end in sight or even possible, unless you make the decision to seek help!

You may feel some physical symptoms as well, such as dizziness, nausea, or a feeling of vertigo when you finally get out of bed and walk around some. Overall, you may well feel as if life has lost its purpose, or that you have simply lost your way inside of a huge maze with no exit. You may feel the urge to cry out for help, or simply for some sort of attention to your feelings, but may believe that no one cares – or, worse, that no one is there that knows how to help you, even if they cared.

There are other, troubling, feelings, such as a sensation of impending disaster or doom, which may overtake your thoughts, and hold them seemingly for hostage. You should know that you never have to suffer these terrible feelings alone. There certainly is help available, and someone does care! You just have to make the tiny effort to call out for the help you need – or trust a loved one or friend to summon that help to you.

What Does Severe Depression Feel Like?

A more severe variety of depression -hence the name, severe- is one that leaves its sufferers with acute feelings of dislocated emotions, anxiety, paranoia, violent swings of mood, and even severe rages and blackouts during which one may be prone to any number of irrational acts, for which you may have no explanation for the cause of, or even a memory of, after it has ended. Severe depression symptoms may range from catatonia (lying in bed, unwilling or unable to move) to the rages and tantrums described above, which may result in physical violence to the self (mutilation, suicide) or to others (including, ultimately, murder).

Severe depression, because of its wide range of symptoms, is much easier to pinpoint in a patient than milder forms of depressive illness. But because the symptoms may be more volatile in such an individual, it may be harder to persuade them to seek help. Indeed, many sufferers of severe or major depressive disorder go undiagnosed and untreated – until they commit some irrational or heinous act which puts them squarely in the spotlight of the authorities, by which point it may well be too late!

This is not to suggest that all sufferers of severe depression will go on to become raging, homicidal lunatics – far from it. Nonetheless, depression in its severe stages is known to progress bit by bit in some individuals, until it becomes simply too much to bear. Before you let severe or major depression break you down, please log on to the internet and research for yourself what the symptoms are. If nothing else, you may at least reassure yourself that your own condition is not so bad – not yet.

If the person you love or have known as a friend for many years begins to suddenly act different – acting very slow, showing no interest in things that they once used to love, or begins speaking in cryptic, morose riddles about morbid subjects- they may well be suffering from a depressive illness. For those of you reading this who may suspect a close friend or loved one of suffering from a severe depressive disorder, please do the research as suggested, or contact a doctor who can help you decide on which (if any) further steps need to be taken. Remember, the person who is afflicted with such an illness may not always be able to recognize that fact and, thus, be able to help themselves. Sometimes it takes a concerned parent, friend, or spouse, to step in and make the call!

However, other, more troubling, side effects of depression medication may occur which were not provided for by your physician, and which you will certainly need to inform he or she about, to be sure that no physical or mental damage occurs that can’t be undone. Also, you need to be quite sure that you are taking these medications in the exact dosage, and at the exact times, that your doctor prescribes. You certainly don’t want to to overdose on powerful antidepressant medications, as this could lead to serious consequences, some of which may even be fatal. At the same time, you don’t want to take too little of the medication, as you will not benefit from its full healing properties.

 Physical Side Effects Of Depression Medication

Many antidepressant drugs work by changing the way the body handles a naturally occurring chemical called serotonin. Serotonin helps to normalize your mood, and prevent sudden swings of euphoria or severe depression. It basically regulates your outlook on life, keeping you in a

Effects Of Depression

safe “medium” which is not too high or too low. Most productive citizens operate routinely at this “happy medium” without even realizing that there are others who cannot attain to this normalcy. At any rate, serotonin helps to restore the normal balance of emotional well being. However, because serotonin also plays a regulating role in maintaining such bodily functions as sleep, pain recognition and response, and digestion, it will also sometimes lead to physical side effects related to sudden changes in the amount of this natural ingredient in your body.

It should be noted that antidepressant drugs can be linked directly to some, or all, of the following physical side effects. If, after taking the medication prescribed by your doctor, you notice any of these, you should alert him or her immediately. You don’t want to take any chances with your health, so don’t feel as you’re just being a “hypochondriac”. Better safe than sorry!

Some of the side effects you may experience include: excessive nausea, inflammation of the stomach, knees, elbows, or joints, increased nervousness, anxiety, and restlessness, and a feeling of vertigo or dizziness. Some blurring of your vision may occur, which could lead to the symptoms of vertigo or dizziness noted above. You may also experience a temporary decrease in your libido (sexual drive or appetite). All of the above symptoms are normal and par for the course, when first adjusting to a new round of medications, so give them a few days to subside. If they do not, call your doctor immediately. You may need to be prescribed a completely new medication, or the dosage may have to be adjusted.

Mental And Emotional Side Effects Of Depression Medication

In additional to purely physical side effects, there are also several mental and emotional side effects which are associated with depression medication. You need to be especially vigilant of these purely mental and emotional side effects, because they are harder to “see”, especially when you are the one directly affected by them. Your family, coworkers, neighbors, and friends may be better able to judge any sudden changes in your behavior, so be sure to remain open to what they are saying about any changes in your attitude or sudden loss of motivation.

Because serotonin motivates the emotional response in normal human beings, a sudden dose of it can wreak sudden changes in the behavior and outlook of a depressed person who is being prescribed extra doses of it to normalize his reactions. Sometimes, too much may be prescribed at once, which can lead to certain mental side effects such as amotivational syndrome. This is a side effect which involves the patient suddenly becoming extremely apathetic, unmotivated, “lazy”, sluggish, and irritable. He or she may suddenly lose all interest in activities which formerly motivated their participation and involvement to a great extent. They may lie in bed all day, shutting off all contact with loved ones and friends.

At the opposite side of the spectrum, a patient who is prescribed antidepressants may suddenly become completely uninhibited, engaging in wild behavior which comes as a total shock to all who know them in their “normal” state of mind. This person may suddenly become extremely outgoing, friendly, and totally lose sight of their former inhibitions which kept their behavior grounded. They may exhibit extreme swings of mood, being outgoing and jovial one moment, and then suddenly, paranoid, argumentative, and even violent, the next. So, it is important for friends and family members to keep a close eye on the behavior of someone who is taking antidepressant medication for the first time. You definitely do not want to be in a cramped room or in a moving vehicle with someone who suddenly exhibits loss of self control!

There are other purely mental, non-physical, side effects associated with antidepressant medication. Some patients may experience a troubling loss of memory, either in the short or the long term. Others may notice an ability to concentrate on one topic for more than a few seconds. As with the symptoms of mood swing listed above, it may be that others who are in contact with the patient may be better able to notice these symptoms occurring than the one who is experiencing them.

Although all of the above noted mental and physical side effects of depression medication can possibly occur when taking antidepressant medication for the first time, this does not mean that these medications are automatically “not for you”. Remember that these medications have had amazing effects on past sufferers of depression, and have enabled them to live long, healthy, productive, lives. So, contact your doctor if you think something is happening that shouldn’t be, and work with them to get the dosage right.

As exhaustive scientific and medical research studies have confirmed, depression does, indeed, seem to be a genetically inheritable condition. Direct relatives of patients who suffer from depression have been discovered to possess twice or three times the probability of suffering from this disorder at some time in their lives. Patients with major depressive disorder are likelier than most to have parents or grandparents who suffered from this same degree of depression. Indeed, children of parents who suffered from depression in whatever degree, whether mild or severe, have been conclusively proven to be twice as susceptible to outbreaks of depression than children for whom no history of depression has been shown to exist in their family.

 Depression Runs In Families

Studies which focus on the occurrence of chronic depression issues in twins have also proven the existence of a genetic link in those who suffer from depression. Pairs of non identical twins were proven to possess the capability of developing symptoms of a major depressive disorder at a

Is Depression Genetic?

rate of about 20%. Identical twins were shown to possess this very same capability at a rate of nearly 50%. The fact that twins of either variety, identical or non identical, possess the capability of developing such a major depressive disorder simultaneously, or one not long after the other, proves that there is an ascertainable genetic inheritance at work in these instances.

However, so far, these leading scientific and medical research studies have failed to identify what the specific triggers of such depressive outbreaks might be. They have not as yet been able to specifically and conclusively identify which precise genes are at fault in malfunctioning to the point where depression develops in an individual. The best conclusion that can be gathered and arrived at from the evidence presented thus far seems to point to the probability that depression, especially in its chronic variety, is a complex issue involving the faulty interaction of multiple genes. There is also the distinct possibility that depression is inherited through a multiplicity of factors, none of which have been successfully pinpointed as yet.

Recent studies have discovered that genetic inheritance seems to play a much larger role in women developing depressive disorders than in men. It has not yet been discovered why this is the case. Scientific researchers conducted a study which compared the life styles and medical case histories of identical twins who were raised apart from each other. When these separate case studies were compiled and duly compared and contrasted, it was discovered that genetic factors were the suspected culprit in some 40% of depressive disorder diagnoses in female twins. By contrast, the same studies, when conducted upon male twins who had likewise been raised apart from each other, yielded evidence showing that genetic factors accounted for somewhat less than 30% of depressive disorder diagnoses.

One aspect of depression which is often inherited is the propensity, especially in men, toward behavior which is deliberately (whether consciously or otherwise) self destructive or, in its worst manifestations, even suicidal. As noted above, this unfortunate characteristic of a major depressive disorder is more prevalent in males than in females. While it is still not known which precise genetic combinations breed in a man this debilitating character defect, the effects brought upon one’s family and in society in general are well known. Thousands of suicides occur each year which can be, after the fact, definitely traced back to the presence of such a major depressive disorder in the person who ended their life, either alone or in a tragic murder-suicide combination. Thus, the presence of such a genetically inherited depressive disorder is not merely a matter of one’s own mental health, but of the possibility of tragic mayhem which a person suffering from this condition could bring upon others, or upon society as a whole.

While women are less likely to suffer from major depressive disorder than men, they are still quite susceptible to the debilitating effects of such a condition. Women in the throes of such a disorder may be less likely to murder or commit suicide than men in the same condition, but it is not unheard of. If you are living in the presence of a loved one or even a neighbor whom you suspect may be prone to such disorders, it is wise to consult a physician or other knowledgeable authorities, in order to avoid being swept up in the tragic course of the final stages of such a potentially deadly illness. Depression, in whatever form, is no laughing matter, but an individual who is suffering the final stages of a major depressive disorder, is a person who should be carefully watched and studiously avoided. Indeed, if they are unable or unwilling to regulate their own conduct, there is no telling what they may be capable of.

In conclusion, it is a proven scientific and medical fact that the question, “Is depression genetic?”, can be resoundingly answered in the affirmative. If you or someone you know has a history of depressive episodes, you should consult a medical or mental health professional, in order to learn what possible steps you should take in order to stave off the development of such a disorder in your own case. Depression, in whatever form, is a verifiable medical illness, and it is always better to be safe now than sorry later!

There are many treatments available for individuals suffering from depression, and depending on the severity of the case, and the patients response to a given therapy, there may be an opportunity for a significant reduction or even total elimination of the symptoms of depression. This article will examine some of the different treatments available for depression, and attempt to shed some light on what does or does not constitute a cure for depression.

 Can Depression Be Cured By Talking?

Can Depression Be Cured?

Psychotherapy has been used as a treatment for depression symptoms since the 19th century when Sigmund Freud pioneered the science of psychoanalysis. Psychotherapy is often referred to as “the talking cure” because it consists of the patient discussing their thoughts and feelings with a mental health professional. Psychotherapy for depression can be administered by a variety of health care professionals including psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and psychiatric nurses. One of the most common types of psychotherapy for depression is known as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT. CBT focuses on helping patients acquire a basic “toolkit” of behavioral and cognitive skills that they can then use to combat depression “from the inside out”. CBT performs as well as medication in patients with moderate to severe depression, and is often recommended for patients under the age of 18. In addition, psychotherapy is often used in conjunction with one or more additional treatment options, such as medication.

Medication For Depression

There are two main types of medication used in the treatment of depression, tricyclic antidepressants, or TCAs and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs. Tricyclic antidepressants were initially developed in the 1950′s and the synthesis of drugs like imipramine represented the first major pharmacological breakthroughs in the treatment of depression. TCAs were effective in treating depression, and were used extensively until the first SSRI medications were introduced in the early 1980′s. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors quickly became the first line in depression medication, and millions of people have used them successfully to manage the symptoms of depression and depression disorders. As with all medications, TCAs and SSRIs have the potential to cause unwanted side effects in people who take them, and some patients may have difficulty continuing to take the medication in extreme cases. Fortunately, there are a large number of SSRI and TCA medications available, and by working with a doctor, most people are able to find a medication “cocktail” that minimizes or eliminates the symptoms of depression without the presence of unwanted side effects.

Medical Procedures To Cure Depression

There are a number of medical procedures used in the treatment of depression, the most well researched among them being electroconvulsive therapy or ECT. Electroconvulsive therapy is a treatment where seizures are induced in the patient by stimulating the brain with electricity. ECT is often used in cases where a patient has been unresponsive to medication and is suffering from severe or major depression. Some studies suggest that ECT may be the most effective short-term treatment for depression, because it can be administered immediately, whereas antidepressant medications can take several weeks to build up effective levels in the blood stream. For this reason, ECT is often used in emergency situations involving catatonic depression or depression with psychotic features. Studies suggest that ECT may be most effective when followed by a course of antidepressant drugs.

Alternative Therapies For Depression

The two most commonly recommended alternative therapies for depression are simple exercise, and bright light therapy.

Can Depression Be Cured With Simple Exercise?

The two most commonly recommended alternative therapies for depression are simple exercise, and bright light therapy. When a person exercises, their body produces chemicals called endorphins, and there is some evidence to suggest that endorphins act as the body’s own “natural antidepressants”, and can alleviate the symptoms of depression to a degree. Many people have difficulty starting an exercise routine until they have reduced their symptoms through the use of a more traditional treatment for depression. However, studies show that regular exercise increases the effectiveness of medication and psychotherapy in the treatment of depression.

Light Therapy For Depression

Therapy with bright lights has been shown to be more effective than placebos in treating certain types of depression, particularly Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD. People who suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder experience the symptoms of depression most acutely during the winter months when there is less natural light due to the shorter days. The use of special high intensity lamps to treat this type of depression is growing, and there is evidence to suggest that light therapy is an effective treatment for SAD when used in conjunction with antidepressant medication.

All of the therapies above have proven effective in treating depression to varying degrees in different patients. The answer to the question “Can Depression Be Cured” is most certainly a yes, however you should consult with your doctor to determine what course of therapy if any is best suited to your individual case.

• Changes in Appetite
• Increased or decreased amounts of sleep
• Having low-self esteem

These checklists are targeted towards the majority of people, oftentimes leaving us to feel like it’s just too broad to take seriously. What if you knew that there were separate depression warning signs for women over 30? Would you take the list more seriously? These symptoms of depression are what thousands of women over 30 felt when they were diagnosed with depression.

depression symptoms in women

Ask yourself, right now: Do any of these symptoms sound familiar?

• Doubting yourself and your decisions
• Criticizing yourself, self-nagging
• Feeling like the “spark” is gone from sex
• Gaining weight
• Spending more time thinking about the past
• Feeling underappreciated by others

How many of these could you identify with if you let yourself be completely honest? If you identified with at least one, read on.

Depression is a difficult subject for just about anyone to discuss, but it’s an especially sensitive subject for women in their 30s, 40s, 50s, and onward. Society makes us feel as though we have a duty to keep it all together. How many times have you heard yourself or a friend say, “I don’t know how I do it… I just know it needs to be done.”

These feelings of stress and obligation can lead to depression in many cases. The real danger is not in being diagnosed with depression, however – it instead lies within our inability as women to admit that there might be a problem.

Oftentimes, the people around us don’t understand depression. Maybe you’ve tried speaking up before, but friends or loved ones told you that you simply had “the blues” or needed to take a vacation day. If you let yourself get caught up in that mentality, your depression could go unchecked for an entire lifetime. You deserve to have these feelings taken seriously, and to learn more about them.

Stop everything you’re doing this second and imagine life without feeling overwhelmed and stressed. What would your life be like if you could truly enjoy your life? There is no reason to run from the possibility of being diagnosed with depression. Being diagnosed with depression only means that you’re one step closer to managing it and getting your life back.

Are you ready to join the fight against depression? It’s easier than you think. If you identified with any of the warning signs above, do the following to ensure that you’re giving your health the respect it deserves:

1. Write down all symptoms you identified with above
2. Talk to a doctor or health care professional about your feelings
3. Remind yourself that feeling the way you do is NOT normal – no matter what anyone else says
4. Tell yourself daily that you and your health are worth the effort

Feeling like your regular self again is possible. Speak up for your right to happiness and a higher quality of life. Whether you want to turn off the self-doubt and criticism for good, or you just want to get your confidence back, talking to your doctor about depression today is the first step towards happiness and complete personal satisfaction.

Other cases of depression, major and minor, occur as simple, inborn responses to the loss of a beloved family member, close friend, spouse, or even pet. In all, the causes of depression are many and varied. Indeed, symptoms of depression can sometimes be misdiagnosed when they occur as the results of other, purely physical ailments which have no root in a loss of self-worth or hope in one’s existence. How to deal with depression has likewise become a pressing concern, with years of scientific and medical research yielding a promising number of treatment proposals and courses of correction which promise, one day, to eradicate this debilitating disorder.

How To Deal With Depression

Precise methods of exactly how to deal with depression will, of course, vary widely among individuals, so that treatment and correction of this disorder will also consist of a wide variety of methods, both physical and psychical. It needs to be more widely understood that all forms of depression, from a minor case of the “seasonal blues” to the onset of a catatonic, unresponsive state, are to be taken extremely seriously. A prolonged bout of melancholy may lead to a complete loss on the part of the sufferer of his ability to reason how to deal with depression, so that his ability to function as a normal member of society may become seriously compromised or otherwise impaired.

What is sorely needed is careful attention when it comes to working to determine the precise source of such relentless inner conflict, emotional strain, and complex, dramatic behavioral changes. How to deal with depression is a question which cannot be answered simply and generically for all at one go, but must be determined case by individual case, thus addressing in the round such issues as the developmental cycle of depression, so as to highlight a possible course of treatment options.

How To Deal With Depression

A conspectus of what a short article such as the present example can offer as to advice on how to deal with depression would perhaps consist of the following suggestions. The individual suffering from depression might consider running, bicycle riding, swimming, or exercising to work off excess stress and tension. He may wish to change the commonplace routines of his life, many of which may in fact be developmental “triggers” of his present condition. He may wish to develop a “support” system consisting of close friends, family, as well as the confidence of a psychologist or trusted clergyman.

Should these initial, tentative steps not offer relief, other options of how to deal with depression are readily available. It may be time to consult the services of a psychologist, psychiatrist, or physician, particularly if thoughts of death or suicide begin to become more frequent and perversely “pleasurable”.

very different to what the average male experiences.

Symptoms of depression in women occur in an often confusing multiplicity of forms, with varying levels of severity and recurrence. Often, female depression sufferers are no more aware of these signs than men, and thus do not recognize this state for what it is. Many times, when the true state of affairs is recognized and acknowledged, these depression symptoms in women have already reached an advanced and complex state. However, this is not to suggest that these symptoms of depression in women, once properly and professionally diagnosed, cannot be treated and many times successfully dispelled, or at least markedly alleviated to an acceptable level.

Common Symptoms Of Depression In Women

Some of the most common symptoms of depressive disorder in women can include a sudden, dramatic, increase or decrease of weight, due to

symptoms of depression in women

the effects of “binge” eating, sometimes accompanied by signs of aberrant eating behavior, i.e., bulimia, or “binge and purge” disorder. Anxiety regarding one’s weight, “dieting mania”, sudden, excessive devotion to exercise and the like, are tell tale signs that something is surely amiss in that individual’s self image, particularly that which relates to their body. Other symptoms of depression in women may include a sudden loss of interest in activities they were formerly beloved of or quite devoted to, such as social activities at church, “ladies’ nights out”, volunteer meetings, etc.

Mental and Emotional Symptoms Of Depression In Women

Marked changes in sleep patterns, leading to insomnia or an excessive propensity for sleep constitute other signs of depression in women. In particular, the inability to cease constantly worrying will, in the long term seriously impair one’s facility for concentrating on important day to day issues and activities. An excess of such negative thoughts and worries may lead to the loss of short term memory, as well as having a negative effect on one’s ability to reason and make properly informed and considered decisions.

Physical Symptoms Of Depression In Women

Other commonly seen in depressed women may include a sudden cessation of regular monthly period activity, as a prolonged bout of severe depression possesses the ability to disrupt and sometimes completely block a woman’s menstrual cycle from occurring. This can sometimes be accompanied by chronic constipation, which can manifest when extreme depression disturbs the normal functions of the body.

These and other depression symptoms are treatable in most cases. No one need feel that they are alone and helpless when it comes to seeking relief from this illness. With proper diagnosis and care, depression can be overcome.

Atypical Depression

Atypical depression can consume and harry an individual nearly to the point of physical, as well as psychical, paralysis (catatonia is sometimes manifested in extreme cases). This disorder is often passed down through the genetic code of families, sometimes skipping a generation or two, only to return to inflict its full force on descendants who are consequently mystified as to the source of this soul-sapping malady. AD, because it manifests itself earlier in an individual’s life than most other forms of depressive disorder (normally commencing its dysfunctional onset in the early to mid teenage years), tends to, in the long run, inflict more palpable and irreparable damage and cause more widespread and lasting functional impairment than comparable disorders such as post-partum or seasonal affective disorder.

In addition, patients who struggle with AD are considerably more likely to be victimized by other mental disorders such as avoidant personality disorder, poor self esteem, body dysmorphic disorder, and many related irrational fears and complexes such as agoraphobia and clasutrophobia. Many possess a generally solitary and social phobic personality, sometimes exacerbating itself into miserliness and “hoarding”. 

Complications Of Atypical Depression

However, to complicate the issue, many documented complainants of atypical depression will respond to positive or negative external events with some degree of engagement rather than pure and simple fearful avoidance, as would be the case with others who are victimized helplessly by related disorders. The general emotional and philosophical disposition of an individual saddled with AD may sink to the blackest depths of melancholy, or suddenly rise noticeably upward to a state of (heavily qualified) optimism. Such individuals become, at times, an unwitting barometer of the social atmosphere around them, and seem to be merely absorbing its influences without the ability to filter or edit them. As such, when the tension and excitement of such a situation plays itself out and disperses into mere memory, the sufferer of atypical depression will often times seem to “deflate” back into melancholy. 

Some leading expert authorities in the medical profession have hypothesized that AD may, at its root, be related to thyroid dysregulation. Triiodothyronine, a medication used to treat hypothyrodism, may yield positive results in the struggle against atypical depression. As with former forms of depressive illnesses, atypical depression can be treated and its effects often counteracted, or at least alleviated, by a regimen of proper counseling and medication. Research is ongoing, and clues as to a possible cure remain to be discovered. 

Major Depression

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What is depression in medical terms?

What Is Depression