Effects of Depression

Depression comes with all sorts of side effects. Are you experiencing one or more of these?

• Feeling Helpless
  Feeling like nothing will get better, and that there's no way to improve the situation.
  
• Loss of Interest
  No longer interested in past hobbies or daily activities. Could also be a loss of interest in hanging out with friends or having sex. You have no motivation, and may no longer feel joy from these activities.
  
• Loss of Appetite
  Changes in eating habits and/or weight. You may no longer feel motivated or see a reason to stay healthy.
  
• Sleep Disorders
  Depression can cause you to wake up at random times late at night or early in the morning. It can also cause you to oversleep, not feeling motivated to get out of bed.
  
• Anger Issues
  Feeling depressed can lower your tolerance level, and you might start getting irritated easier. You could end up with a short temper, with everything and everyone getting on your nerves, even when they have good intentions. If left unchecked, this could lead to violent outbursts.
  
• Energy Loss
  Constantly feeling tired, and physically or even emotionally drained. Small tasks may seem exhausting or take a lot longer to complete.
  
• Reckless Behavior
  Depression can lead to reckless behavior and bad habits like substance abuse, reckless driving, or compulsive gambling.
  
• Self-Hate
  It's not uncommon for depressed people to feel angry at themselves. Sometimes they will harshly criticize themselves over trivial faults or mistakes.
  
• Memory or Concentration Problems
  Depression can lead to trouble making decisions or remembering things. It can also create problems when you are trying to stay focused.
  
• Aches and Pains
  Seemingly random pains that may or may not have an explanation, such as stomach pain, aching muscles, headaches, or back pain.

Why Am I Depressed?

There are many different reasons why you may be depressed. You probably have more than one. There are many different "triggers" for depression. A trigger can be anything that causes you to feel depressed. Triggers may include people, places, and events (both ones that happened in the past, in the future, and ones happening now). Even the weather can be a trigger. Most triggers for depression can be associated with negativity. Finding out the trigger(s) for your depression is key to a successful recovery.

Your personal habits can also trigger depression. Do you worry a lot, have low self-esteem, or are sensitive to personal criticism? Are you severely overweight, a perfectionist, or are self-critical? Perhaps you have a negative mindset? All of these factors can lead to a higher risk of depression.  

Many people don't realize that depression can be hereditary. Depression can run in families, so you may have a genetic risk for it. That doesn't mean for sure that you will experience depression if a parent or close relative is suffering from it though. Your personal circumstances and other factors will still have an influence on whether or not you are depressed.

Serious medical illnesses can also trigger depression. They can bring about depression directly, or they can contribute to it through associated stress and worry. Generally, the longer the illness and the more painful it is, the more likely it is to develop into depression.

Many people with depression also tend to have drug and alcohol problems. Alcohol is a depressant. Drinking too much alcohol can lead to depression. Similarly, people who are depressed will sometimes try to drink their sorrows away with alcohol. It can be a very difficult cycle to break. If you or someone you know has a problem with depression and alcohol abuse, it's important to seek help right away.

Do I Have Depression?

Depression is a mental condition where a person has a long period of grief, misery, helplessness, hopelessness and worthlessness. These feelings often get worse over a period of time, allowing a person to have feelings of self-doubt, severe despondency and depression.

Depression is the most common mental illness. Over 350 million people in the world are affected by depression today. Unfortunately, it also frequently goes untreated - less than half of all people with depression are currently involved in some form of treatment. Prolonged depression can lead to serious health conditions. It can cause terrible suffering, and create problems with work, failures in close relationships and poor physical health.

In extreme cases of depression, it can cause a person to take their own life. It's estimated that one million people worldwide each year will commit suicide as a result of depression. Nearly all people who die by suicide have had depression at some time or another.

The World Health Organization reports that in 2020, depression will be the second largest cause of premature death worldwide, with heart disease as the largest.

If you or someone you know is suffering from depression, it's important to get help right away. You can find out more here.