How do I know if I have depression?

Every person feels sadness, lonely or empty at some point in their lives. Sorrow and feelings of helplessness are a natural part of life. Sad and upsetting things happen to everyone during their life.

However, when those feelings of sadness continue for prolonged periods of time and start to interfere with your everyday life and ability to function, then you should see a psychologist to evaluate whether you have depression and how you can cope with it.

It is very important that you don’t try to overcome deep depression alone. Depression, like any other mood disorder, could cause physical symptoms and serious health conditions.

The good news is that depression is treatable. With the assistance of mood-regulating medication and psychological therapy, you can overcome depression to live a happier and more functional life. These therapies work quite quickly and patients feel an improvement within a few days or weeks.

Symptoms of depression:

There are many thoughts and behaviours that could indicate depression. These are the most frequent symptoms:

• You feel sad, helpless or hopeless for most of your day.
• You lose interest in things that you used to enjoy.
• Your energy levels are low and you struggle to do activities that were easy in the past.
• You experience sleep problems. Either not able to sleep or you sleep more than normal.
• Your emotions are not controllable.
• You feel anxious and afraid.
• Your libido is lower than normal and you lose interest in physical intimacy.
• Your appetite and weight change.
• You may have thoughts of suicide or self-harm. (NOTE: if you are considering harming yourself, you need to get help immediately.)

Causes of depression:

In the same way that there are multiple events that could cause sadness or despair, there are many things that can cause depression. These are the most common.

• Genetic predisposition. You are at higher risk of depression if other family members have experienced depression or any other mood disorder.
• Recent trauma or loss. Many people experience depression after an unexpected bad event. The death of a loved one, after a divorce or loss of employment and any other unexpected life event that can trigger depression.
• Trauma during childhood. Some reactions to trauma are formed when we are very young. At the time, those coping behaviours would have been helpful to a child who cannot understand what is happening. These could continue into adulthood where they are no longer healthy. Unresolved early trauma such as abuse or neglect could cause depression in adults many years later.
• Medical conditions. Sometimes there are physical, underlying medical conditions that can put you at risk of depression.
• Substance abuse. If you have a history of substance abuse, you could be at risk of getting depression later in life.
• Brain development. If the frontal lobe of your brain is not functioning as it should, you could experience depression. Likewise, a chemical imbalance in your brain could also result in depression.

Types of depression.

Here are some of the forms of depression:

1. Major depression disorder. This is a very common type of depression that is also called major or clinical depression. This occurs more frequently in women.
2. Persistent depressive disorder. This depression could last for two years or more if untreated.
3. Bipolar disorder. This is also referred to as “manic depression”. If you have bipolar disorder, your moods will fluctuate between extreme highs (mania) and extreme lows (depression).
4. Psychotic depression. This form of depression has symptoms of major depression and psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions and paranoia.
5. Peripartum / Postpartum depression. Referred to informally as the “baby blues”, this form of depression happens to women in the weeks and months after the birth of a baby.
6. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Some people experience feelings of depression during winter when days are shorter. It usually goes away during Spring and Summer.
7. Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD). Women who suffer from PMDD experience symptoms of depression at the start of their period/menstruation. This is also referred to as PMS pre-menstrual syndrome.
8. Atypical depression. As the name implies, this form of depression is different from other forms in that it can be lifted by something good happening in the patient’s life.
9. Life event-driven depression. As mentioned in the causes above, a stressful situation such as divorce, loss of a job, death of a loved one or any other could cause depression.

There are a number of tests that you can take to evaluate whether or not you suffer from depression. Mike can assist you with these tests and will work with you to develop strategies on how you can overcome your depression.

Contact us for more information or to schedule an appointment.